UK Dairy Carbon Network farmers and experts to explore nutrition and practical sustainability at Dairy Conference

UK Dairy Carbon Network farmers and experts to explore nutrition and practical sustainability at Dairy Conference

The UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN) will take centre stage during the afternoon session of Dairy Conference 2026, bringing together research, nutrition expertise and practical farmer experience to explore opportunities for more efficient and sustainable milk production.

UK-DCN farmers Andrew Crawford and Wallace Gregg will share their experiences of participating in the project through videos recorded on their own farms, before joining researchers and industry experts for a panel discussion.

Andrew milks 340 cows with his brother William outside Beragh, while Wallace milks 180 cows near Glarryford. Through UK-DCN, both farms have implemented a range of measures being assessed for their potential to improve efficiency and reduce emissions, including approaches to nutrition, breeding and forage management.

Explaining why he became involved in UK-DCN, Wallace Gregg said:

“I am a great believer in scientific research producing benefits for farmers, and I feel local research proven on Northern Irish farms is crucial. As well as that, the pressure coming from processors and consumers is leading to more and more farmers needing to be carbon efficient.”

Andrew Crawford said the project could also help demonstrate the progress already being made within the dairy sector:

“I think the Dairy Carbon Network is one way the dairy industry can get greater recognition for what it has already been doing to reduce its carbon footprint.”

Chaired by Jason Rankin, Senior Industry Advisor at AgriSearch, the afternoon session will also hear from Professor Steven Morrison of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), who will provide an overview of the UK Dairy Carbon Network and the work taking place across its network of commercial dairy farms.

He will be followed by Jim Uprichard of Trouw Nutrition, who will examine the theme of Feeding for Sustainability, looking at the role nutrition can play in supporting efficient dairy production while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Following the presentations and farm videos, Andrew and Wallace will join Steven and Jim for a panel discussion, giving delegates an opportunity to explore the practical opportunities and challenges involved in putting research and new approaches into practice on commercial dairy farms.

Looking ahead to the session, Jason Rankin, Senior Industry Advisor at AgriSearch, said:

“One of the real strengths of the UK Dairy Carbon Network is that it brings research, technical expertise and practical farming experience together. The afternoon session will follow that same approach, combining the wider UK-DCN perspective with a specific look at nutrition and, importantly, the experience of farmers implementing measures on their own farms.

“Ultimately, approaches to reducing emissions have to work within commercially viable farming systems. Hearing directly from farmers involved in testing and implementing measures through UK-DCN will therefore be an important part of the discussion.”

The UK-DCN is working with over 50 dairy farms across the UK to put practical, farm-ready solutions for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into action. Led by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the project is driven by a UK-wide consortium of leading research institutions and industry organisations. The Northern Ireland UK-DCN Farm Network is managed by AgriSearch.

The afternoon session forms part of Dairy Conference 2026: Driving Profitability, Delivering Sustainability, which takes place on 20 October at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus, Antrim.

Hosted by Dairy Council for Northern Ireland (DCNI), AgriSearch, CAFRE and the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), the conference will bring together farmers, researchers and industry specialists to explore opportunities and challenges facing the dairy sector, with sessions covering sustainability, genetics, nutrition and practical on-farm experience.

The Dairy Conference at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus is free to attend but booking is essential. Please register at: www.ufuni.org/event/dairy-conference-2026/