En irlande: Grazing is good for you

Taking advantage of its natural resources and grasslands, Ireland is developing its ruminant livestock industries. When the EU abolished milk quotas, the country established ambitious exportation goals. More than 90% of Ireland's usable farm area is made up of grasslands that feed cows and sheep. This low-input, grass-based production system is less vulnerable to fluctuations in the global market. Grassland use has been optimised in three ways: i) by adopting grouped spring calving, which should be enhanced via genetics-based breeding; ii) by carefully developing logical field patterns; and.iii) by strictly managing grasslands in accordance with the principles outlined in this study. Knowledge transfer is based on a unique and efficient R&D tool that disseminates information via a network of discussion groups.