The future of upland farming will be the focus of a joint Teagasc and College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) symposium in Killarney on Thursday 19 November.
The event will examine how Ireland’s uplands can contribute to ecosystem services for wider society while remaining productive farming areas. It will bring together researchers, agricultural organisations, farmers and policy specialists at the Great Southern Hotel in Co Kerry.
Cross-border focus on hill farming
Teagasc and CAFRE will outline work being carried out by both organisations in upland areas. Contributions are scheduled from Teagasc director Frank O’Mara and CAFRE director Paul McHenry, while National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker MBE will present lessons from Dartmoor on sustainable farming in hill and upland areas.
CAFRE’s involvement gives the programme a direct connection with Northern Ireland, while the Dartmoor contribution brings experience from England’s uplands into a wider discussion about the management of hill land. For sheep farmers operating in these areas, the agenda links practical production with environmental outcomes and the future design of agricultural support.
Science and innovation on the agenda
The second session will focus on research and technology. A presentation on carbon in the uplands will draw on data from the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory (NASCO). The programme will also include a study of precision livestock management using virtual fencing, as well as an update from CAFRE’s Glenwherry Hill Farm.
- Carbon measurement in upland soils through NASCO data
- Precision livestock management and virtual fencing
- CAFRE’s Glenwherry Hill Farm research and activities
- The place of trees in upland landscapes and their relationship with farming
After lunch, the discussion will turn to projects in Kerry. Subjects include the MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access project and the ACRES co-operation project, with measures aimed at biodiversity, water quality and carbon outcomes. The programme will also consider how decisions about tree planting can fit within upland land use.
Policy questions for upland businesses
The final session will consider the challenges and opportunities facing upland farming, beginning with a paper on the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027 and its possible implications for Irish upland farms.
A panel will include Tipperary-based organic upland beef farmers Joe and Eileen Condon; CAFRE senior livestock technologist Eileen McCloskey; Department of Agriculture head of agriculture and environmental structures division John Muldowney; and Kerry upland farmers Daniel Buckley and Patrick O’Mahony.
The combination of policy, research and farm perspectives reflects the range of pressures facing upland businesses. Alongside questions about future support, the symposium will address carbon, biodiversity, water quality, access, technology and the practical management of livestock in hill environments. Those themes are also relevant to producers in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, where upland farming is closely tied to land stewardship and the viability of sheep and other livestock enterprises.
