NI dairy conference to focus on farm profitability, genetics and sustainability

Love Ballymena
36 minutes ago
3 min read

Dairy Conference Partners pictured (L-R) are Glenn Cuddy, Deputy President at Ulster Farmers Union, Joe Mulholland, Head of Dairy at CAFRE, Jason Rankin, Senior Industry Advisor at Agrisearch and Ian Stevenson, CEO of Dairy Council for Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland dairy farmers will hear how genetics, research and better use of farm data could help improve profitability while reducing environmental impact at a major industry conference this autumn.

The Dairy Council for Northern Ireland is joining CAFRE, AgriSearch and the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) to stage the free Dairy Conference 2026 at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus on Tuesday 20 October.

The event will bring farmers, researchers, processors and industry leaders together to examine some of the biggest challenges facing the sector, including changing markets, cattle genetics, nutrition and the drive towards more sustainable milk production.

Dairy Roadmap and market outlook

Dale Farm chief executive and Dairy UK vice-chair Nick Whelan will open the conference with an update on the Dairy Roadmap, which is setting targets aimed at addressing the environmental impacts associated with producing liquid milk.

Dairy Council NI chief executive Ian Stevenson will then chair a panel discussion involving Northern Ireland’s three main dairy processors.

Mr Stevenson said:

“The Northern Ireland dairy sector has a strong track record of responding to change and investing in a sustainable and productive future. This event provides an important opportunity for farmers and the wider supply chain to hear directly from experts and industry leaders about market developments, genetics and sustainability, while sharing experiences and identifying practical opportunities for progress.”

How genetics could improve herd performance

The second session will turn to cattle genetics and how developments in genotyping could help farmers make more informed breeding decisions.

Chaired by CAFRE’s Head of Livestock Genetics and Data Branch, Francis Breen, it will include a presentation from Marco Winters of the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

He will outline how the new Bovine Genetics Project aims to help farmers improve cattle health and efficiency while also reducing emissions.

Lois McConaghy of Sustainable Ruminant Genetics NI will demonstrate how genotyping can be used to build a genetic profile of a farmer’s existing herd and future calves.

Coleraine farmer Andrew McCollum will also share his experience of using genotyping. His herd has achieved the highest ranking for AHDB’s Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI).

The index is designed to identify genetics associated with profitable dairy cows over their lifetime, bringing the potential financial value of genetic selection directly into the discussion for farmers.

Nutrition and the Dairy Carbon Network

After lunch, the focus will move to nutrition and the Dairy Carbon Network, with the afternoon session chaired by AgriSearch’s Jason Rankin.

Professor Steven Morrison, head of AFBI’s Sustainable Livestock Systems Branch, will provide an overview of the network before Jim Uprichard of Trouw Nutrition examines how feeding strategies can contribute to more sustainable dairy production.

Farmers involved in the Dairy Carbon Network will also share their experiences, followed by a panel discussion.

Mr Rankin said:

“Research and innovation have a vital role to play in helping dairy farmers meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. The Dairy Carbon Network, led by AFBI in partnership with organisations across the UK, provides a valuable platform for sharing practical knowledge and demonstrating how improvements in areas such as nutrition can contribute to both farm efficiency and environmental performance.”

The conference will conclude with closing remarks from the UFU, drawing together the main themes from the day.

How to attend

Dairy Conference 2026 takes place at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus on Tuesday 20 October.

The conference begins at 10am, with lunch provided at 12.45pm. The afternoon programme is scheduled to finish at 3pm.

Attendance is free, but advance booking is essential.