Grace Cassells, Keira Hopkins and Lara Flood impressed judges with their innovative and forward-thinking project, which explored if cow collars can benefit farmers by reducing labour and improving cow’s health and wellbeing. The students were intrigued by cow collars, and as part of the award submission they wanted to obtain a first-hand understanding of what farmers thought of these devices, and whether were they ‘worth the hype’. The students examined the current labour input on Irish farms and the increasing age profile of Irish farmers.
For the tenth consecutive year, ABP has sponsored a category at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. The Sustainable Farming Practices award aims to encourage and celebrate the next generation of innovators who are dedicated to finding sustainable solutions for the challenges facing modern agriculture, according to Stephen Connolly, agriculture sustainability manager for ABP Ireland & Poland.