Ireland goes to Mongolia

An Irish dairy farm is to be established on the steppes of Inner Mongolia, according to a report in the Irish Independent newspaper. The demonstration farm is the result of an agreement between University College Dublin in Ireland and Dairy United, a Chinese dairy producer. The farm will be located 40km from Hohhotand , and will use Irish dairy equipment and management practices.

The site should be operational by August 2013, and is expected to become a research centre for the Chinese dairy industry. It will include disciplines such as grassland management, improved genetics, animal husbandry, withdrawal periods for antibiotics in milk and herd nutrition. The plan will also involve the university working with smaller holdings at Hulunbuir, around 1,000km north of Hohhot.

Dairy United has total assets of €75m and operates 151 dairy farms with 2,000 cows on each, and more than 2,000 hectares of forage production land. There are differences between Ireland and Mongolia. For example, the temperatures can fall to -15C during the winter in Hohhot and to -40C in Hulunbuir. This means that livestock are housed for up to six months each year.

Under the agreement, the university will deliver a programme in milk production, while the Farm Relief Service will train dairy staff in Ireland, who will then return and coach field staff in Mongolia. The agreement also covers the potential for training veterinarians and agricultural scientists at the university.