Michael Creed, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, defended the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), saying it allows farmers to make informed decisions.

Speaking to AgriLand, the minister argued that there was not necessarily a link between cattle that look good and their cost effectiveness.

“The point here is you can have fabulous-looking cattle, but they eat all around them, and they may not be the most cost-effective,” claimed Minister Creed.

He was speaking at the annual general meeting of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), which was held last night (January 31) at the Killeshin Hotel in Portlaoise, Co. Laois.

Those cattle might only produce a weanling as good as a cow that only eats half as much, and that’s really where costs and margins come in, and that’s where the beef industry needs to focus.

The minister also argued that the data indices that are evaluated by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) show improved economic returns “across a range of things – cow fertility, slaughter weights, and every point in-between”.

“This data will give farmers more information, who can use that information to make informed decisions about what cattle to breed and what cattle to cull,” he added.

Brexit

The minister also addressed the issue of Brexit, and the effects it will have on the beef sector.

He told AgriLand: “Prices are really challenging now. What we’re focused on now is the potential Brexit might have, which has the potential to turn a challenging situation into an existential challenge if not addressed.”

Minister Creed said that his department had been working with the European Commission, and making the preparations at a national level, for the appropriate responses.

However, he highlighted that those responses are dependent on what steps the UK take in the event of a no-deal Brexit – i.e., whether they apply tariffs or not, something the minister says is uncertain.

The minister stressed that a no-tariff situation could be equally damaging to the Irish beef sector, as it would open the UK market to produce from other third countries.

“A no-tariff situation has the capacity to undermine the value of the market, talking in particular in the context of South American beef,” he said.

He concluded by warning: “Certain produce we can compete with on the global market – dairy and pigmeat perhaps – but in beef, we couldn’t compete with unfettered access for South American beef.”