Farmers across the UK are being encouraged to take part in a pilot programme aiming to help farmers improve their grassland management.

The project, GrassCheckGB, follows a recent study carried out by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), which highlighted the profits improved grassland management can bring to livestock farms. In particular, the research detailed that improving pasture utilisation by one tonne per hectare is worth an additional profit of £204/ha each year to a beef farm.

The project will see the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) working in partnership with the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) and researchers at AFBI and Rohamsted Research.

The project will monitor growth and quality of pasture, as well as make predictions on future growth and report findings to the industry on a weekly basis.

Around 25 beef and sheep farms across the UK are required. Application forms can be found on www.CIELivestock.co.uk – for more information contact CIEL on 019-04567716, or email enquiries@cielivestock.co.uk.