By Alan Dillon, Teagasc Drystock Specialist/Green Acres Programme Manager
The Teagasc Green Acres Dairy Calf to Beef programme finished its second year on December 31, 2020.
Profitability has improved across most of the programme farms for 2020 with an average net profit of €455/ha recorded. No subsidies of any description are included in the figures quoted.
There is big variation in the level of profit between these 12 farms with the highest level of profit being €1,140/ha and the lowest being €18/ha.
The average grassland stocking rate across all the farms was 2.31 LU/ha while a gross output of 1,284 kg of live weight per hectare was achieved.
Case study 1: Less than 80 cows
John is milking 60 cows. His son, Mark, is coming home from college and, together, they plan to milk 120 cows. Presuming they are currently producing 300,000l annually, they can now expand by 10% per year from their peak reference year. Prior to Monday’s change they could have milked 74 cows by 2024, the supposed last year of the restrictions.
After the changes announced this week they can now grow at 10% per year until they reach 400,000l and grow at 5% until they reach 550,000l and then grow at 2.5% compound growth thereafter.
Based on this faster growth trajectory, they can milk 84 cows by 2024 which is an increase of 10 cows compared to the Glanbia restrictions as first announced.
04 March 2021
Type Report
The Teagasc Crops Costs & Returns are intended as an indicative guide to crop margins. Compiled by: Ciaran Collins and Shay Phelan, Tillage Crops Specialists.
The Teagasc Crops Costs & Returns are intended as an indicative guide to crop margins; however land suitability, rotation, risk avoidance and husbandry skills must also be considered. As well as completing crop margins, all growers are strongly advised to complete a full financial appraisal of their business using the Teagasc eProfit Monitor and Teagasc Machinery Costs Calculator.
There is little difference in margins between the feed cereals. Non-cereal break crops offer benefits in terms of rotation, workload and risk-spreading but the sale of inter-farm produce needs careful planning to ensure profitable crops. In the case of malting barley, food-grade oats and milling wheat, the availability of contracts and fulfillment of specific contract requirements such as specified varieties, q
The sun was shining on Monday when the
Irish Farmers Journal made its way to Aghamore near Ballyhaunis in Co Mayo.
It gave a false sense of spring because stepping out of the car the first thing to hit you was the snaring wind.
Gary Shaw is in his third year of a share-milking arrangement with farm owner Tomás Murphy. He is milking 120 cows on a free-draining but very exposed farm.
Gary Shaw, Aghamore, Co Mayo.
While the altitude is not overly high at around 300ft above sea level, it’s very exposed to the elements, which Gary says is both a help and a hindrance. It helps to dry the soil after rain but it’s hard on stock.