Cattle that are born from January 1, 2023 onwards and are sired by bulls with a low beef sub-index value will not be eligible for the Advantage Beef Programme’s 20c/kg Sustainability Bonus.
The change is likely to primarily impact plainer-type calves that are born from the dairy herd.
Currently, this will not impact their eligibility for the Quality Payment Scheme (QPS) bonus or breed bonus, where relevant.
The eligibility criteria (based on 2022 evaluations) when breeding cattle for the Advantage Beef Programme is as follows:
- All 2022-born cattle must have a sire recorded to be eligible for the Advantage Beef Programme;
- All 2023-born dairy-beef calves must be sired by a bull with a minimum beef sub-index of €35 on the Dairy Beef Index (DBI);
- Suckler-bred cattle born from 2023 onwards must be sired by a five-star terminal or replacement bull;
- Genetic specifications for 2024-born calves to be eligible for the programme (based on the new sire evaluations) are expected to be confirmed soon.
This change, which was announced last year, is aimed primarily at improving the beef value of calves from the dairy herd.
Farmers in attendance at ABP Food Group’s recent series of Advantage Beef Programme calf-rearing information events were informed of the change.
Importance of good genetics
The events were well attended by beef and dairy farmers and featured a range of speakers offering advice and tips to farmers in the business of producing and rearing calves destined for beef.
The focus of the events was the key role animal genetics play in a profitable calf-to-beef system.
Research conducted on the ABP Demo Farm in conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) and Teagasc has shown a 46kg difference in carcass weight between the best and worst artificial insemination (AI) bulls’ progeny within the Angus breed. Similar results were seen in the Hereford breed.
At current market price, that leaves a difference of approximately €262 in the carcass value of each progeny from the best and worst AI sires.
The DBI is a breeding tool to select the most suitable beef bulls for dairy herds – bulls that are balanced for calving, gestation and beef carcass traits.
The overall DBI index is made up of a calving sub-index and a beef sub-index.
Dairy farmers selecting beef bulls for their herd were advised to consider using a bull with an acceptable level of calving difficulty while also aiming to use the highest carcass and beef sub-index value bull as possible.