Breeding, grassland management and feeding decisions were among the practical areas explored at a recent event on September 3rd hosted by dairy farmer Caryn Webster at Browns Bay, County Antrim, as part of the UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN).

More than 200 practical measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are now underway on farms involved in the UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN) project.

With feed and fertiliser costs increasing, correcting soil pH is more important than ever. John Morrow explains why farmers should use their Soil Nutrient Health Scheme results, identify priority fields and make a plan to spread lime while ground conditions allow.

Farmers will need time, clear information, trusted advice and practical options to adapt to the proposed Nutrients Action Programme 2027–2030, AgriSearch has said.

Grass growth normally remains steady through July, with the nine-year GrassCheck trend close to 60kg DM/ha/day. In 2026, dairy farms began July strongly: growth reached 68kg DM/ha/day on 6th July, almost 12% above trend, while average farm cover (AFC) stood at 2,454kg DM/ha.

The Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, in partnership with CAFRE, AgriSearch and UFU is organising an industry-wide Dairy Conference to raise awareness of how data and research can inform decisions to improve on-farm profitability and sustainability

Dairy farmers will have the opportunity to see how breeding decisions can improve genetic gain, herd longevity and efficiency at a UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN) farm walk in Islandmagee on 3 September 2026.

Measurement drives decisions at GrassCheck farm walk. Farmers heard how grass data, clover research and targeted parasite control can strengthen on-farm resilience.

It is well recognised within the NI dairy industry that increasing the number of silage cuts taken each season can improve forage quality. Silage digestibility (D-value) declines by approximately 3.3 percentage units for every one-week delay in harvest date, highlighting the importance of timely harvesting.