Certified Irish Angus has confirmed that a 30c/kg offseason bonus will be available for its members on eligible cattle at sites of its processing partners, ABP Food Group and Kepak.

The Angus breed bonus has been confirmed for eligible animals slaughtered between March 24 and May 30, 2025 and this bonus will be paid in addition to the farm Quality Assurance (QA) bonus of 20c/kg.

Commenting on the confirmation of the breed bonus, Certified Irish Angus general manager, Charles Smith, said: “We are delighted to be able to deliver this bonus. In a spring where we see beef prices rise beyond everyone’s expectations, this is a welcome reward for beef producers.

He appealed to farmer members to "not lose focus" and "stay committed to producing better Angus cattle through improved breeding and reduced age of slaughter" saying "these measures help maximise margins and efficiencies for members.

"Certified Irish Angus' Elite Breed Improvement Programme accelerates sustainable breeding through improved genetics which ensures that the challenges of climate change can be met."

Furthermore, he appealed to members to "continue using the producer group’s booking system when selling their animals as it has a proven track record of delivering consistent bonuses".

Farmers can book in their Angus cattle to avail of the offseason bonus by downloading the form from the Certified Irish Angus website and returning it by e-mail to Certified Irish Angus.

More information on the breed bonus is available on the Certified Irish Angus website.

In other news on the producer group, Certified Irish Angus recently announced a new strategic partnership with Airfield Estate. The goal of the new partnership is to educate consumers about sustainable beef production.

Airfield Estate is described as "Dublin's sustainable food hub" and has a 38ac 'city farm' and gardens and an educational charity which aims "to enable people to make informed food choices".

Building on Airfield's 'discovery teaching' approach involving hands-on activities to engage audiences, the partnership will involve Certified Irish Angus cattle being reared on Airfield Estate's city farm in south Dublin which is accessible to all visitors.

Certified Irish Angus general manager, Charles Smith, said: "The two organisations are coming together to deliver a shared objective to better bridge the urban-rural divide by educating consumers about the care and attention required to produce quality food."

During this year's Certified Irish Angus School's Competition, there was a series of interview days and events which took place on the grounds of Airfield Estate.

A total of 43 schools from north Leinster, Connacht and Ulster took part and also had the opportunity to tour the Airfield Estate for themselves.

The remaining 45 schools from Munster and south Leinster attended their interviews in Teagasc Moorepark. The next stage of the competition for these schools will be an expo event in Croke Park on March 7.