Kinisla and Teagasc renew three-year dairy programme

Kinisla and Teagasc formally introduced the renewed programme at Teagasc Moorepark on Friday, September 4. The collaboration follows an earlier joint dairy programme that began about 30 years ago. Kinisla, previously known as Kerry Dairy Ireland, said the new arrangement would continue support for its milk suppliers through practical learning and access to specialist guidance.

The initiative, called Innovating for Success, will address pasture utilisation, herd genetic merit and fertility, financial management, and labour efficiency. Kinisla said the programme was being launched at a time when ongoing technical progress was “essential to maintaining competitiveness” for dairy farmers.

Environmental and longer-term farm-management issues are also included. The partners will support efforts to improve water quality, lower emissions and increase biodiversity. The programme will also cover planning for generational renewal, according to Kinisla.

Delivery will take place through three components: an innovation-farm network, workshops on dairy-business performance, and a resilient-grazing-systems pillar. Farms in the innovation network will demonstrate practices and technologies intended to provide practical examples for Kinisla’s supplier base. The programme will be linked to Kinisla’s existing Evolve RegenDairy sustainability initiative.

James O’Connell, Kinisla’s director of agribusiness and sustainability, said the company’s milk suppliers were “at the heart” of its business. He described the partnership with Teagasc as a platform for supporting their personal and business development, adding that each supplier should have access to practical knowledge and opportunities to improve their farm business.

Kinisla chairperson James Tangney said the partnership had delivered value to suppliers over many years and that Innovating for Success would help them address future opportunities and challenges. Joe Patton, Teagasc’s head of dairy knowledge transfer, said continued technical progress was necessary for farms to remain profitable, resilient and sustainable. He said the programme would help farmers apply innovation on their own farms.