Over the last few weeks, I have gone to a number of technical lectures across a range of various enterprises. The speed at which technology is developing, with promise of progress for humanity and the sectors involved, is bewildering and exciting in equal measure.

In many ways, the dairy sector is to be envied as the farming system in an Irish grass environment is relatively well developed with an inherent competitiveness in the Irish farm family grass-based model. One of the most interesting figures I heard over the course of the last few months was given at one of these conferences – the assertion that in Ireland a kilo of milk solids can be produced for US$3 or roughly €2.60 whereas the best in a full-confinement system in the US is closer to US$5/kg of milk solids or roughly €4. I had not heard the figures expressed so bluntly before and as nobody in an audience, much better informed than I, challenged the speaker I can only assume that he was approximately correct – though it is important to note that the Irish cost basis excludes family labour and a return on capital invested in land.

In the main, the dairy sector can capitalise on the advances in bovine health that are achieved anywhere in the world apart from the use of the BST, bovine somatotropin yield-enhancing hormone. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Irish targets for yield per cow are roughly 60% of their US equivalents so it is likely that the pressure in the system will be significantly less in the Irish dairy farm environment.

The contrast with the tillage sector could hardly be greater and the annual Teagasc tillage conference taking place this week in Kilkenny is a useful reminder of how different the two systems are.

In Irish grain production, we are in fact aiming to have among the highest yields in the world – which our soil and climate conditions have demonstrated are achievable. But the system is clearly under pressure with access to new genetic and agri-chemical developments being increasingly denied to the sector.

The latest casualty being the phasing out of the seed dressing on wheat and barley that is so effective against barley yellow dwarf virus.

The just released latest recommendation from the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice, which only emerged last week declaring that gene editing should not be considered as genetic modification, may hold out some hope of real permissible new technical advances in plant breeding combatting cereal diseases in the future but the contrast between the two sectors is stark.

The last technical lecture I attended was on the equine side at the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Assocation exhibition at Goffs in Co Kildare.

The racehorse industry is crystal clear in its objectives – either the horse wins or it doesn’t and either the stallion produces winners or he doesn’t. The scientific developments in enhancing the fertility of superior stallions are staggering.

From a farmer’s point of view, effective new technology is taken up by the early adaptors, the rest have to follow to stay in business – in all sectors the treadmill is relentless.