The Dairy Edge

Emma Dillon, economist and senior research officer with the National Farm Survey joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss the recently published preliminary results for the 2024 survey.

Emma explains how the survey works and how the 300 or so dairy farms that supply data to the survey are used to create a representation of the dairy farms across the country and how they adjust their survey to ensure it cont...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice as some farms are coming into a surplus in grass supply while others, particularly on the southern coast, are tight on grass supply. 

John also reviews where fertiliser nitrogen use is at and what should be left for the rest of the grazing season, plus there is a grazing update from Enda Armstrong from Galway, who is currently gr...

ICBF business analysts, Mark Waters and Gearoid Slattery, join James Dunne on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss the National Genotyping Programme, how it has performed to date, the benefits of genotyping, some the challenges that have been faced and the opportunity for new participants in the next phase of the programme.   

We are also joined by Cork dairy farmer Sheena Murphy who outlines her experience of being in the pr...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice as some farms are coming into a surplus in grass supply while others - particularly in the southern coast - are tight on grass supply.

John also has a grazing update from Mike Ahern, from Co. Waterford, who was announced as the Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year 2024. The Moorepark Open Day is also discussed.

Link to this w...

Laurence Shalloo, Head of the Animal and Grassland Programme in Teagasc Moorepark, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge.

Laurence starts by acknowledging that there is a constant state of flux in the world now and that we are constantly adapting to change. This is no different to what we did in the run-in to the milk quota removal.

Laurence talks about the pent up energy in the industry post-quota removal that has...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice as many farms are coming into surplus grass, grazing grass covers that are too high and he has a grazing update from Denis Finnegan, Co. Cork.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter: 

https://bit.ly/Grass10-17thJune2025

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-da...

Padraig McCormack, dairy advisor at Teagasc Moorepark, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss what’s currently happening on the farms in his area.

Padraig outlines the grazing situation in the area which is beginning to get back on track followed a prolonged spell of dry weather a month ago. Quality has been variable but people are looking at removing surplus in the coming week as growth is exceeding dema...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher discusses current grazing advice as some farms are coming into surplus grass and he has a grazing update from John Phelan, Co. Waterford.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter: 

https://bit.ly/Grass10-10thJune2025

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a ...

James Dunne is joined this week by Teagasc grassland science researcher, Mike Egan, to discuss the correct management of grass-clover swards to ensure high levels of pasture and animal performance.  

Mike also discusses the findings from the recent external assessment of Teagasc’s Clover and Multi-Species Sward Research Programme.

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/a...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses current grazing advice as some farms are coming into surplus grass, plus he has a grazing update from Tim Walsh in Co. Kerry.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter:

https://bit.ly/Grass10-3rdJune

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a co-pr...

Irish dairy farms are making huge progress when it comes to improving their sustainability metrics, with the Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards highlighting the farms which are leaders in this regard. 

For this week’s Dairy Edge, James Dunne is joined by dairy farmer, Brendan Walsh, who was the overall winner in 2024. 

Brendan outlines how he farms to meet high levels of performance, whilst also keeping the lo...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses current grazing advice as growth rates are expected to bounce back with rainfall received, plus he has a grazing update from Killian Brennan, Co. Cavan.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter:

https://bit.ly/Grass10-27thMay

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast...

Teagasc Grass10 Programme Manager, John Maher, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss managing mid-season grass quality. 

John outlines the significance of getting grass quality right with 40% of the milk being produced in May, June and July.

He talks about why grass management is difficult, because it doesn’t grow consistently with as much grass growing in the last 7 days of the rotation, as it does in t...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, with rainfall amounts variable throughout the country, Joseph Dunphy discusses current grazing advice and has a grazing update from Michael Walsh, Co. Laois.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter:

https://bit.ly/Grass10-20thMay

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is...

Costs over the last number of years in running a commercial dairy farm have increased significantly, albeit farm gate milk prices are higher than the long term average, and it’s important that investment decisions are made that benefit the business in the long term.  

Teagasc farm management specialist, Kevin Connolly, joins James Dunne on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss and explain why farmers should make informed decis...

On this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses managing a surplus grass situation as soil moisture deficits begin to bite on some drier farms, plus he has a grazing update from Sean O Sullivan, Co. Cork.

Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter: 

https://bit.ly/Grass10-13thMay

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-pod...

Dairy farmer, Paul Hyland, who runs the farm with his brother David near the village of Ballacolla, Co. Laois, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss silage quantity and quality.

They have an objective to provide 4-5 bales of quality silage to feed cows in the autumn and again in the springtime but also have a July reserve to be prepared for dry weather at that time of the year.

Paul discusses how they cu...

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses managing surplus grass currently on farm and he has a grazing update from Raymond Niblock, Co. Monaghan.

Link to this week’s newsletter Grass10 newsletter: 

https://bit.ly/Grass10-6thMay

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a co-production ...

Seamus Nolan, Teagasc’s Scheme Support Unit Specialist, who has a particular focus on the Target Agriculture Modernisation scheme, better known to many as the TAMS scheme, joins James Dunne on this week’s Dairy Edge.

Seamus discusses the recently announced nutrient storage investment scheme under TAMS 3 which offers farmers an increased rate of grant aid for nutrient storage investments on their farm.  

For more episodes f...