A Dairy Positive Future
Evening One: Wednesday, October 20
18.30
Welcome and introductory remarks from our show host
Ivan Yates
Broadcastor, entrepreneur and politician
18.40
Opening remarks from the Show Director
Denis Kiely
Show Director, Cork Holstein Friesian Club
18.45
Official Opening and Ministerial Address
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
18.50
Stock Judging Preview
The IHFA sponsored National Dairy Show Stock Judging competition will give all attendees the opportunity to judge some of the best Holstein Friesian livestock in the country. There are three classes of five cows professionally filmed by Maria Kelly for a global standard competition that is unique to anything seen on a virtual show format in Ireland. An international judge will officially place the classes which are grouped as Heifer-in-milk, Junior Cow and Senior Cow. The cows were kindly presented to the show by John O’Connor in Kanturk. His new state of the art dairy farm is also profiled on day 2 of the show.
The competition (which includes a prize of €250 to the winner courtesy of the IHFA) can be viewed On-Demand on the virtual National Dairy Show platform. The virtual attendee winner of the open stock judging competition will be announced live by Ivan Yates at the climax to the second evening of the show.
Charlie Gallagher
CEO, IHFA
A Dairy Positive Future
19.00
Innovation driving a dairy positive future
Technology can be a problem solver for many of the challenges that dairy farming faces. With a trend of almost double in investment in the agritech space year on year, we discuss the new initiatives in dairy technology driving a solution filled future.
Liam Stack
Ruminant Technical Manager, Dairygold
Brian O'Riordan
General Manager Lely Center Mitchelstown
James Greevy
Head of Innovation, Herdwatch
19:20
AXA National Dairy Innovation Award: Engineering Showcase
Category sponsored by
19:25
Financing an economically sustainable dairy future
Discussion with financial experts and advisors on how to economically sustain your dairy farm with the right investments for the changes and challenges that are facing the dairy sector
Diarmuid Donnellan
Agri Specialist, AIB
Philip O’Connor
Head of Farm Supports, IFAC
19:40
Machinery Demonstration: Precision Fertilizer Equipment (Yara & Gypsy)
19:50
The common mistakes dairy farmers make with farm insurance
Every efficiency and best practice adds to the bottom line for dairy farmers whether it’s grass utilisation or finance structuring, but what are the common mistakes when it comes to your dairy farm insurance that could be costing your farm money? We take a helpful dive into the topic to break down the complexity that might lead to unnecessary mistakes.
Tom McCarthy
Agri Regional Development Manager, Munster
Christy Doherty
Agri Business Manager, AXA Insurance
Grass And Sustainability
20.05
INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS
‘Learn from the future – Ireland’s path to dairy sustainability
Dr. Jack Britt
Dairy Futurist, Scientist & retired Global Research COO North Carolina, USA
20:20
Grass and Cows – getting it right
Some of Ireland’s best awarding winning dairy farmers discuss how to make sure you have the right sward and cow for your farm to be ahead of the curve when it comes to Ireland’s drive for grass and sustainability
Kevin O’Hanlon
Dairy Farm Manager, Pollards Farm, Wexford
Caroline Walsh
Dairy Farmer, Grassland Farmer of the Year 2020, Cork
How global dairy issues can be Ireland’s gain
20:40
Changing from climate challenge to climate opportunities for Irish dairy farms
International and Irish dairy experts discuss how the industry can get ahead and make the most of the opportunities that result from the climate debate worldwide within the sector
Dr Fionnuala Murphy
Lecturer/Assistant Professor, Biosystems & Food
Becky Willson
Project Manager, Farm Carbon Toolkit, UK
Andrew Hoggard
National President Federated Farmers New Zealand and Board Member, International Dairy Federation
21.05
Machinery Demonstration: Precision Fertilizer Equipment (Kverneland and Rauch)
21.15
Irish dairying abroad – What Ireland does best and what we can learn
Frank discussion from Irish farmers who have set up dairy operations abroad on what they have witnessed in the sector in Canada, USA and New Zealand, what best practice they have implemented from Ireland and what the Irish could learn from the dairy sector where they currently farm
Moderator: Philip Whitley
Assistant Show Director, Cork Holstein Friesian Club
Harold Sweetnam
300+ Cow Herd, Sweetridge Pedigree Herd, Manitoba, Canada
Rodney Elliott
6000+ Cow Herd, Antibiotic-free & Robotic Milking, South Dakota, USA
21:35
Day 1 close
Bonus Afternoon Session: Day 2, Thursday, October 21
14:00
Dairy Industry Discussion: Climate, nitrates and consumer trends – how can the dairy industry come out on top?
Moderator: Lorcan Allen
Business Editor, Business Post
Zoe Kavanagh,
CEO, National Dairy Council
Maxine Roper
Food Blockchain Expert and Co-Founder, Connecting Food (France)
Prof. Michael Lee
President of the European Federation of Animal Science, Livestock Farming Systems Commission
Conor Mulvihill
Director, Dairy Industry Ireland
Stephen Arthur
Chair, IFA Dairy Committee
Pat McCormick
Dairy Farmer and President ICMSA
15:00
Growing Dairy Diversification
Covid helped grow the trend towards online shopping, ideals of food security and local food production. In so doing, it allowed food producers and artisan dairy producers to connect directly with their market and open up new opportunities. In this session, we look at best practice, starting and growing a dairy diversification business and connecting with your market online.
Michele Neylon
Co-founder and CEO, Blacknight
15:15
Bonus sessions end
Evening Two: Thursday, October 21
18:30
Welcome and opening remarks from our
show host
Ivan Yates
Broadcastor, entrepreneur and politician
18:35
AXA National Dairy Innovation Award: Science Showcase
Category sponsored by
Future Proofing Dairy
18:40
‘No time or labour to deal with disease on Irish dairy farms’
An exciting discussion on the future of animal health on modern dairy farms. It relies on technology and science to ensure sustainability against the increase in regulation and the trends that govern the sector.
William Minchin
Ruminant Business Unit Director, MSD Animal Health Ireland
Dennis Howard
Veterinary Surgeon, Munster Bovine
Gill O Sullivan
Dairy Farmer, VET, Farming Independent & Farmers Weekly Contributor
19.00
Machinery Demonstration: Tractors and Loaders for the stockyard (Massey Ferguson, New Holland & John Deere)
19:15
Breeding the cow of the future
A highly topical conversation with so much influence from the discussion on the future direction of Irish dairy farming and new technology advances. Influential agenda items that could govern bull selection, genetics and technology in the future include the current Nitrates Action Plan proposal from DAFM, policy around emissions reduction and new developments like epigenetics.
Karol Kissane
Regional Executive Cork & Kerry, IFA
Dr. Doreen Corridan
CEO, Munster Bovine
Tom Baker
Breeding & Business Development Manager, Eurogene Ai Services
19:40
AXA National Dairy Innovation Award: Technology Showcase
Category sponsored by
19:45
Redefining Slurry from Waste to Gold
The issue of nitrates, water pollution and slurry storage have captured many column issues for the sector, not just in recent months but down through the years. Our expert panel will discuss how new research and potential could change slurry from being a dirty word to being liquid gold with potential to save and make money for dairy farmers.
Professor Marcel Jensen
Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UCC
Dr Richard O’Shea
School of Engineering and Architecture, UCC
20.00
Machinery Demonstration: Precision Fertilizer Equipment (Amazone)
20:10
The Dairy Farm of the Future
O’Connor High Tech Dairy Farm: our profile looks at this state of the art new build as a glimpse of what the dairy farm of the future might look like with consideration to new tech improvements in animal husbandry, cow welfare, family farm labour requirements and sustainability.
20:35
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Getting the Transition Cow Right
A timely discussion around the importance of the transition period in dairy cows covering the latest research, data, nutrition and animal health advances that can help dairy farmers reduce gateway diseases, labour demands at calving, medication costs, legalisation demands and production loss throughout lactation. The expert panel discuss prevention is always better than cure and the latest advances that help reduce unnecessary workload on busy seasonal calving farms.
Moderator: Don Crowley
Business and Technology Advisor - Dairy, Teagasc
Martin Kavanagh
Consultant vet and Cow Signals Trainer
Maura Langan
Veterinary Surgeon Advisor, Norbrook
20:55
Stock Judging Results
Announcement of Stock Judging Competition Winners
21:10
AXA National Dairy Innovation Awards Winners
Winners are announced in 4 categories: Science, Engineering, Technology and Start-Up.
Plus, there is a special prize this year for the winner of the Start-Up category courtesy of the sponsor of this category: MTU’s AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE). The winner will receive a one day experience at ACE: Ireland’s premier virtual, augmented and mixed reality suite, including a custom solution to suit the successful company’s needs.