And so, the journey for the farmers on the facing page comes to an end. For some, it’s been an eight-year stint, while others have been on board since 2012. But for all involved, both at grassroots and stakeholder level, it has been an extremely worthwhile undertaking.

Perspective

What the BETTER farm group has achieved is hugely significant. In an era of negativity, where prevailing opinions often belittle our sector, they have struck a chord of defiance. Their determination to drive on and show that Irish beef production is more than just a back-garden enterprise should be saluted. While the average Irish beef farm might not be financially viable in a subsidy-free world, our BETTER farmers have shown what is possible when one’s focus moves from outside, to inside their own walls. In all walks of life, it is in the upper percentiles, not among the averages, where we should aim to position ourselves. Our group has done just that. Now, they will act as a positive barometer for both aspiring and established beef farmers.

Their journey has taken in many challenges, not least when the programme began in 2012 with the wettest summer on record, followed by the fodder crisis in 2013. It is a testament to their determination and faith in the direction the programme was taking them that they actually began increasing production levels and investing in their farms during those challenging times.

Baby steps

Many farms made small investments in terms of dividing fields into smaller paddocks, extra water troughs and spreading more P, K and lime to improve soil fertility. These investments, while not costing the earth, made more difference to the day-to-day management of their farm in terms of boosting days at grass and easing stock movement than more extravagant investments such as sheds or machinery.

Grass growth and utilisation was pushed to the limit, with some farms achieving over 15t DM/ha on average, comparable with the Teagasc research farms.

Wet ground

While not pushed from the beginning of the programme, there were some projects undertaken on farm that gathered a lot of attention, such as land drainage undertaken on some of the wettest farms in the programme. These were of particular relevance in providing information and advice on methods and costs to farmers after some very wet summers and springs.

What has surprised the public and some of the programme farmers themselves is how far they can push their farm in terms of stocking rate. Most are sceptical of what can be achieved on their farm in terms of carrying stock, particularly suckler cows, but the BETTER farmers have shown without a shadow of a doubt what can be achieved once you have the knowledge and the confidence to push the boundaries. Many farms have come close to increasing stocking rate by 50%, while others have in some cases doubled their stocking rate, albeit from a low starting point. In all cases grass, and not extra meal, was the cornerstone of this undertaking.

Herd health was a focus on many farms, with IBR vaccination policies being a particular focus. On some farms, the benefit of this was very evident, with thousands being slashed off vet bills. A more intangible benefit of this is less stress on the farmer and less labour moving stock in for treatment.

Breeding performance improved substantially for programme participants, with some farmers in particular becoming pioneers for focusing on maternal breeding, bringing milk and fertility back into their herds without losing carcase weight or conformation on the progeny. Some of the programme farms, with up to and over 100 cows in some cases, began using 100% AI as a result of being in the programme. Incidentally, some of these AI-based farms finished up with some of the highest gross and net margins in the programme.

System analysis was in-depth in the BETTER farms, with some systems such as the under-16-month bull system proving particularly successful when run at a high stocking rate. The programme also highlighted the limitations of the weanling system, which continually finished up at the lower end of profitability, particularly on heavier soils with a long winter period.

By educating themselves and becoming technically astute, the group’s average gross margin per hectare has risen from €553 in 2011 – an unviable situation given that fixed costs on an Irish beef farm typically stand at about €500/ha – up to €1,029. Indeed, some of the BETTER farmers have broken €1,800/ha of a gross margin figure.

Financials aside, all of our producers have improved the workability of their farms. Labour is something that we take for granted as beef farmers. Going forward, we must place an emphasis on our own time and put effort into streamlining our working week and conditions – for our own well-being if nothing else.

With uncertainty on the horizon due to increased numbers of calves from the dairy herd hitting the ground and a drop in live exports, programmes like the BETTER farm have never been so important. The next phase of the programme will run in conjunction with what could potentially be a turbulent period for Irish beef farmers. However, we are confident that with the right guidance and direction, those on board will achieve significant success, just as their predecessors did.