Small improvements in technologies can have a very positive impact on production and profitability on sheep farms, according to Teagasc Sheep Enterprise leader Micheal Diskin.

He added that a visit to Teagasc Athenry for the open day will provide insight into the latest developments and scientific advancements in breeding, grassland management, flock health and hill sheep.

Information on tasks to be completed under the Sheep Welfare scheme will be outlined on the day.

There is a significant difference of average gross margins between the top one third and the bottom one third for lowland, mid-season lambing flocks.

“Gross margin per hectare was almost five times higher on the top farms, compared with the bottom farms,” Diskin said on the Teagasc 2016 National Farm Survey. “This indicates that there is significant scope to increase income by improving technical efficiency on many farms.”

Open day

“Technical performance in terms of ewe productivity, grassland management, stocking rate and flock health are all important drivers of profitability and must be the sustained focus of all sheep producers, particularly in times of uncertainty,” said Michael Gottstein, head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer.

The statistics

Improvement in lamb prices in recent years, combined with reduced feed costs, would suggest that 2017 could be a promising year for the sheep industry, according to Teagasc.

Sheep production is a significant contributor to the agricultural and national economy, with an output value of €240 million in 2016.

This is an increase of 4% on 2015, with the volume of meat output having increased 3%.

The event opens at 11am and runs until 5pm. The last groups led by Teagasc advisors will commence the circuit at 2pm. This is a KT-approved event.

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Sheep farmers have lowest average income per hectare