The IFA’s Smart Farming programme works with farmers to improve farm returns while enhancing the rural environment.

The programme focuses on eight key areas that can provide the greatest savings to farmers while enhancing the environment by improving water quality and reducing emissions.

The areas are energy, feed, soil fertility, grassland management, machinery, water, time management and inputs and waste.

In 2018 the average saving was €7,017 per farm. Average emission reductions were 9%.

Forty-two per cent of the savings came from addressing soil fertility.

Case study

Andrew McHugh and his family are dairy farmers and live near Newtownforbes, Co Longford.

Andrew took part in the Smart Farming programme, which helped him to identify cost savings on his farm of over €9,000.

Andrew is also currently on a path to reduce his climate impact by 20%.