SAC Consulting hopes to spark discussions on the future of dairy cows and carbon, at an interactive event which will welcome farmers to explore how to reduce the environmental impact of the dairy industry.
The event, which will take place at Culscadden Farm on 29 September, promises to bring together some of the biggest movers and shakers in the dairy industry, with the headline session featuring insight from industry commentator Chris Walkland and Steven Thomson, Senior Agricultural Economist at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).
Following on from the success of the ‘Chewing the cud about cows and carbon’ technical beef event, which took place in Huntly in June and attracted around 200 participants, organisers hope to continue the conversation on cows and carbon, taking a closer look at maximising efficiency in the Scottish dairy herd.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in four interactive stations, hosted by experts and researchers from the SAC Consulting and SRUC team, covering everything from nutrient management to methane inhibitors, youngstock management and fertility to renewable energy opportunities.
Dr Cara Campbell from the SAC Consulting team will share her findings on how changing a dairy herd’s diet can reduce emissions.
“Digestion and fermentation of feed is the largest source of emissions on dairy farms. Improving your herd’s diet is one way to increase feed efficiency and reduce emissions,” she said.
The afternoon session will consist of a special debate on ‘Science, Policy and Preparing for a Sustainable Future’, pulling in an esteemed panel, including Chris Walkland, Steven Thomson, and SRUC Professor of Dairy Nutrition, John Newbold.
Chris Walkland said: “Find out what the outlook for the dairy markets is, and how the mood of traders across the UK and Europe might affect your milk price as we head into winter, especially with the cost-of-living crisis playing havoc with demand and retailers playing hardball with processors.”
SAC Consulting’s Alison Clark urged farmers to take advantage of the expertise on offer on the day.
“We are looking forward to the discussion around cows and carbon, a hot topic within the dairy industry and one which we don’t want to shy away from. I would urge farmers to come along to Culscadden for a day of networking and discussion, with industry-leading experts on-hand to offer advice on how the sector can go further to reduce its environmental impact.”
The event is free to attend and will take place at Culscadden Farm, near Newton Stewart, by kind permission of Peter and Sarah Simpson, from 10:15 am to 3:30 pm on Thursday 29 September.
The free event is funded by the University Innovation Fund from the Scottish Funding Council. Lunch will be provided. Interested participants are urged to register for catering purposes by phoning SAC Consulting Stranraer on 01776 702 649 or emailing Stranraer@sac.co.uk.