You are invited to join AHDB Beef & Lamb for a workshop on 20 September 2017, titled ‘Making an impact on beef and sheep farms.’ The workshop, which will have a focus on Knowledge Exchange (KE), is open to vets, consultants, farm suppliers and any other professionals that advise beef and sheep producers. An agenda is attached for your information.

Date: 20 September 2017

Time: 10.00 – 16.00

Venue: Alveston Manor Hotel, Clopton Bridge, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 7HP

The event aims to equip delegates with the knowledge and tools to help their clients become more competitive and resilient, focusing on how to ensure more stock meet target specification. There will also be short presentations from a range of AHDB staff on activity that can easily be applied to beef and sheep farms, including:

Improved youngstock health by focusing on the basics
Boosting grass production by using nitrogen
New EBVs in 2018

Delegates will also hear about AHDB’s 2017-2020 ‘Inspiring success’ strategy, which sets out targets for the organisation to help inspire industry to succeed in a rapidly changing world. KE is identified as a priority within the strategy and this work will be delivered through AHDB’s Farm Excellence Platform, which strives to help industry to improve performance and succeed through farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange.

Programme*

10.00 Tea and coffee on arrival

10.30 Welcome and introduction - Kim Matthews (Chair)

10.45 Working together to get more stock meeting specification – Clive Brown and Steve Dunkley

An update on knowledge exchange campaigns along the supply chain to get more stock in specification. Activity includes working with processors, Strategic Farms, holding more events on selection and promoting the use of sexed semen.

11.30 Using data better in the beef industry – Sarah Pick

Including the main findings from the beef key performance indicators (KPI) project, for both suckler and finishing systems, and how farm software companies are adopting the new KPIs, ensuring outcomes of the project are taken up by industry.

11.45 Break

12.00 Validating performance targets for the sheep industry – Liz Genever

Update on recommendations from the sheep KPI project and how data from the RamCompare and Challenge Sheep projects are being used to validate them.

12.30 Speed networking

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Applying new knowledge on farm

Short updates on AHDB activity that can easily be applied to beef and sheep farms.

Increasing stocking rates through TechnoGrazing - Liz Genever

Improved youngstock health by focusing on the basics - Sarah Pick

Moving from paper to online data entry for Signet - Emma Steele

Boost grass production by using nitrogen - Liz Genever

Why should farms be BVDFree? - Eleanor Kane

New EBVs in 2018 - Emma Steele

15.00 Looking wider than just reducing antimicrobial use – Derek Armstrong

Update on AHDB’s activity on optimising antimicrobial use, what other livestock sectors are doing and the plans for the beef and sheep sectors. The importance of getting a good health status on farm before reducing antimicrobial use will also be discussed.

15.25 Producing a product that the consumer wants – Kim Matthews

Including results of a recent survey on the quality of beef available in supermarkets and how it compares with previous surveys. Kim will also highlight the findings from similar work on lamb and how AHDB supported processors and retailers to act on the results.

15.40 TB Advisory Service – Lindsay Heasman

This session will introduce the new TB Advisory Service. This is a free service for dairy and beef producers in the High Risk and Edge areas of England, to encourage the uptake of biosecurity and trading advice.

15.50 Summary - Kim Matthews

16.00 Close

*Programme correct at the time of publication