EBLEX study tours enhance farmer learning

The tours, which saw groups of English farmers visit Scotland and Northern Ireland, are part of a programme of activity being delivered by EBLEX under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Skills and Knowledge Transfer Framework, which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union.

The first tour took a group of producers to Northern Ireland to gain an insight into their beef and sheep sector. The tour included a visit to a meat processing plant, where the group was able to see video imaging analysis (VIA) in action. This was followed by a trip to the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) Hillsborough, where they gained an insight into the BovIS online tool which enables producers to benchmark the quality of their cattle carcases. During the two-day trip, the group also visited a number of farms, including the lowland and hill farms run by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).

The second study tour, which focused on health and welfare, gave producers the opportunity to engage with world experts on sheep and cattle parasites at research institutes in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. As well as finding out how to identify parasite eggs under the microscope and learning different approaches to managing parasite resistance to treatments, farmers also engaged in informal discussion with experts and had the opportunity to share practical insights and feedback about their requirements.

Beef and sheep producer Mark Jelley, who took part in the health and welfare tour, said: “The tour was excellent – it offered so much more information than a farm day could, with access to some of the leading experts in this area and their facilities.

“I understand the subject far more clearly now and will be able to disseminate my findings through online farmer forums as well as using my expanded knowledge for my post-graduate work.”

EBLEX regional manager, Steve Dunkley, said: “The study tours provided those who took part with the opportunity to learn from experts in their area as well as seeing first-hand examples of ‘best practice’ in livestock production.

“It also gave them the chance to spend time with like-minded people and discuss any challenges they might be having on their own farm.

“The next step will be to communicate their learnings to a broader farming audience, whether through formal events organised by EBLEX, or through those who took part communicating directly with their peers.”

For more information about EBLEX activity delivered through the RDPE skills framework click here.