The National Dairy Show
October 28th & 29th 2020
Day 1, October 28
18.00
Welcome from our Host
Caroline Keane
Presenter, Videographer, Broadcaster
18:05
Opening Remarks:
Denis Kiely
National Dairy Show Director
18:10
Official Opening and Governmental Address
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
18:20
Dairy Farm Tractor Demonstrations
18:30
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Dairy in Ireland – are we putting our best foot forward?
A discussion with some of the industry’s biggest online influencers who give the Irish public a glimpse inside the farm gates of dairy farms in Ireland. The panel will discuss
- Is the Irish dairy industry portraying itself in the best light?
- What can be learnt from the general public’s opinion of the industry from online comments, feedback and trolling?
- Can a negative opinion of the dairy industry be changed with more transparency and information through social media and other channels?
Cathal McCormack
Country Manager, Alltech Ireland
Mervyn Harvey
Herdwatch (farm software helping over 13,000 farmers digitise their farm paperwork - 24k Facebook, 9k Twitter & 3k Instagram followers)
Hazell Mullins
(10,600 followers on Instagram), Veterinarian, Abbeyville Veterinary Hospital and Co-Founder of Vet Space Ireland
Peter Hynes
Farmer of the Year 2017, Irish Independent writer and Twitter influencer with 8,000+ followers
18.55
The Dairy Innovation Awards Finalists: Technology
Donal Whelton
Agri Advisor, AIB
19.05
Animal Health: Selective Drying off – The how, when and why
Analysis of the new practice to reduce antibiotic use in dairy and the leading human health issue of resistance to antibiotics through dairy (and meat) consumption.
Dennis Howard
Moderator
Don Crowley
Business and Technology Advisor, Teagasc
Maura Langan
Veterinary Advisor, Norbrook
19:25
IHFA Champion of the Decade: Competition Introduction
Donal Carey
Irish Holstein Friesian Association
19:35
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Antibiotic Resistance: How this food chain issue will affect every dairy farmer
“If you think you understand AMR, it hasn’t been explained properly to you”. One of the deepest issues that the dairy industry needs to rightify is complicated. This discussion looks at breaking it down, to simplify the issues around policy, culture and market while also maintaining a scientific narrative.
Tommy Heffernan
Tommy The Vet, Moderator
Mary Newman Julian
Veterinary Consultant and Tipperary Farmer passionate about improving efficiency in animal health
Dr. Doreen Corridan
Technical Manager, Munster Bovine
Dr. Pat Wall
Professor of Public Health, UCD; Member of UCD Institute for Food and Health and Past CEO of Food Safety Authority of Ireland
20.10
IHFA Champion of the Decade: Cow Introduction
Tommy Heffernan
Tommy The Vet
Donal Carey
Irish Holstein Friesian Association
20:20
Panel Discussion:
Breeding: Are you breeding the right cow for your farm?
Every dairy farm system is different and every dairy farmer has different circumstances. So what questions should a dairy farmer ask to ensure they are breeding the right cow for the land base, soil type, labour availability, work/life balance requirements, market availability, infrastructure, sustainability requirements and all other factors inside and outside the farm gate.
Karol Kissane
Moderator, Policy Director, Agri Insider
Dr. Andrew Cromie
Geneticist, Irish Cattle Bredding Federation
Conor Morley
General Manager, World Wide Sires Ireland
Tom Baker
Breeding and Business Development Manager, Eurogene AI Services
Terry Dillon
Procurement and Breeding Programme Manager, Munster Bovine
21.00
International Keynote Address
Donald Moore
CEO, Dairy Global Platform
21:25
Champion of the Decade: Results and rationale
David Jones, UK
Judge
21:30
Day 1 ends
Day 2, October 29
18:00
Welcome back and opening remarks from our Host
Caroline Keane
Presenter, Videographer, Broadcaster
18:05
National Dairy Innovation Awards Finalists: Engineering
18:15
Panel Discussion:
Infrastructure: Crystal Ball discussion on wiser infrastructure investment
Before you make a 20 year investment, it is important to have an idea of ‘what will the Irish dairy industry look like in ten years time? This crystal ball discussion attempts to answer this question and advise on what decisions should be made now for wiser business decisions around farm investments.
Suzanne Campbell
Moderator, RTE
Denis Drennan
Dairy Farmer, Kilkenny and Chairperson of ICMSA Farm and Rural Affairs Committee
Brendan O’Connell
Acting CEO, Agritech New Zealand (connects innovators, investors, regulators, researchers and NZ dairy farmers in tech)
Dr Karina Pierce
Senior Development Advisor specialising in dairy, Enterprise Ireland Food Division and formerly Professor on Dairy Production at UCD and UCD Lyons
18:45
The Dairy Innovation Awards Finalists: Science
18:55
Keynote Address:
The consumers’ view of Irish dairy production and product portfolio
Fresh milk, cheese and yoghurt have always been a cornerstone of Irish family diets, due to the nutritional value, natural production and assurance of quality you have when consuming fresh Irish dairy. The coronavirus pandemic has only reinforced the importance of dairy in Irish diets. However, consumers are also seeking action on climate change and sustainability from all sectors of society, including the dairy industry. The NDC’s recent research supports this view and in this session you will learn how the sector is viewed and what is expected by consumers today in order to earn their trust for a sustainable future.
Zoe Kavanagh
CEO, National Dairy Council
19:10
On Farm profiles
We visit with some highly respected farmers to get their take on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing them personally and the industry as a whole.
19:20
Panel Discussion:
Dairy Sustainability – can it put money in farmers’ pockets?
The subject of dairy sustainability is in everyday use by dairy processors, politicians and dairy industry bodies. The EU Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are feared by many dairy farmers as new reasons to bring in further legislation, restrictive policies and penalties. This discussion looks at the positives that might be possible, looking at the potential for farmers being rewarded for dairy sustainability, not penalised.
Tommy Heffernan
Tommy The Vet, Moderator
Pat McCormack
ICMSA President
Ciara Donovan
Farm Sustainability Advisor, Dairygold
Patrick Barrett
Agricultural Inspector, Bioeconomy, CAP AKIS and Agri-Digitalisation, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Karol Kissane
Policy Director, Agri Insider
Shane McDonagh
Environmental Researcher, UCC
20.00
Dairy Farm Loader Demos
20:10
Panel Discussion:
Grass Management – what do you need to know now, that you will know in 5 years time?
Ireland is moving towards a smarter sward (?) as it aims to tackle soil quality, water pollution and climate change. This change may mean that most dairy farmers will have to tackle a reskilling challenge as the roll out of multi species has gained massive popularity in the last 12 months. This is no surprise to our speakers, they share their expertise from their experience of being ahead of the curve.
Karol Kissane
Moderator, Policy Director, Agri Insider
Prof. Finbar Mulligan
School of Veterinary Medicine UCD and Associate Diplomate of the European Society of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition
Kate McCarthy
UCD Lyons Researcher (recently published paper on ‘Herb species inclusion in grazing swards for dairy cows’)
Joe Leonard
Dairy farmer, Co. Meath milking over 600 cows using multi-species as part of his grass management for a number of years
Andre Van Barneveld
Sustainability Consultant and Former New Zealand dairy farmer currently based in Wexford