Alltech brings together European farmers on a four-country dairy farm tour

[BOLOGNA, Italy] – The Alltech Euro Tour kicked off today in Bologna, Italy bringing together dairy farmers, feed industry professionals and Alltech team members for five days of learning and networking. Now in its second year, the Alltech Euro Tour has welcomed 140 people from 13 different countries. Throughout the tour from Nov. 26-30, the group will visit seven dairy farms and one beef farm in four different countries across Europe.

Starting in Bologna, in the heart of the famous Parmigiano-Reggiano region, the group will visit two high-producing farms, milking 800 and 1,000 cows, that supply milk to produce parmesan cheese.

From Italy, the group will fly by chartered plane to Reims, a city in the Champagne region in the east of France. Once there, the group will first visit a very well-known dairy farm in this part of France. This farm has expanded significantly in the last three years, subsequently tripling its milk production from a 230-cow herd. Diversification is the theme of the second farm the group will visit, which has used its 250-hectare farm to accommodate a dairy and cow calf herd while simultaneously growing rapeseed, wheat and barley.

The third country the tour will visit is Belgium, where the group will visit two highly-efficient farms that focus on producing top-quality silage and using mixed by-products to manage costs while sustaining high levels of milk production.

The tour will end in Dublin, Ireland, where the group will visit University College Dublin’s Lyons Research Farm. The focus areas of this facility include new, innovative and sustainable milk production models; evaluation of grazing systems based on available land; and the interaction between genotype and nutrition. While in Ireland, the group will also visit Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, County Meath, and nearby Kepak Farm, one of Ireland’s largest beef feedlots, finishing 4,000 heifers and bulls each year.

At each stop, the group will learn about local agriculture and hear about new trends and innovations driving farm performance in these countries. Qualified veterinarian and herd health consultant Martin Kavanagh will join as a guest speaker and will facilitate group discussions comparing dairy farming and the systems in place in each country.

Attendees will also have an opportunity to explore sights and enjoy local cuisine at each stop, including a visit to Fico Eataly World food park in Bologna, Italy; a tour of a champagne cellar in Reims, France; a medieval banquet at a castle in Sedan, France; and a tour and tasting at the Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin, Ireland.

“We’re delighted to welcome even more people from more countries on board our second Alltech Euro Tour,” said Holly Geraghty, event manager for the Alltech Euro Tour. “The tour is intended to give farmers a glimpse into dairy production across four European countries, meet other producers and hopefully pick up new learnings and ideas that could benefit their own businesses. We have an action-packed itinerary, but it promises to be a really enjoyable week for all!”

For more information on the Alltech Euro Tour, visit go.alltech.com/alltecheurotour.

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Contact:

Maria Daly

Communications Manager, Europe

mdaly@alltech.com; +353 86 466 9554

Photo caption:

This week, a group of 140 farmers, feed industry professionals and Alltech team members are on a unique journey across Europe visiting dairy farms in four countries, in five days!

About Alltech:

Founded in 1980 by Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech discovers and delivers solutions for the sustainable nutrition of plants, animals and people. With expertise in yeast fermentation, solid state fermentation and the science of nutrigenomics, Alltech is a leading producer and processor of yeast additives, organic trace minerals, feed ingredients, premix and feed.

Our guiding ACE principle seeks to develop solutions that are safe for the Animal, Consumer and the Environment. Our more than 6,000 talented team members worldwide put this purpose to work every day for our customers.

Alltech is a family-owned company, which allows us to adapt quickly to emerging customer needs and to stay focused on advanced innovation. Headquartered just outside of Lexington, Kentucky, USA, Alltech has a strong presence in all regions of the world. For further information, visit www.alltech.com/news. Join us in conversation on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.