Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has today (Wednesday, May 31) announced funding for a “major and world-first” genotyping programme for Irish cattle.
The programme, which is being run through a strategic public-private partnership model, will “enhance the environmental sustainability, health and productivity of Irish beef and dairy herds”, according to the minister.
The voluntary genotyping programme, which will be available to both beef and dairy herd owners, will run over a five-year period
The minister said it “represents a significant step towards realising [my] ambition for Ireland to be the first country in the world to genotype the national bovine herd”.
Genotyping
The programme will be based on a cost sharing model between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM); the beef and dairy industry; and participating farmers.
The first year of the programme in 2023, with a budget of €23 million, will be funded from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), and the five-year programme will be notified to the European Commission under agriculture state aid rules.
Genotyping from 2024 onwards will be met on a one-third cost sharing basis by the department, industry and farmers.
The Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) will administer the programme on behalf of the department.
The programme is not yet open for applications. Full details on the application process will be available from ICBF in the coming weeks.
Speaking at the launch this morning the minister said: “We are stepping out a hugely ambitious and world-first programme that will ensure that Irish farming remains the most pioneering agriculture sector in the world.
“This is the first step in delivering on our ambition of genotyping all cattle in the country. This programme is the outcome of truly constructive engagement between my department and the ICBF, farm organisations, and industry representatives in bringing this project to fruition,” he added.
The minister went on: “By harnessing genetic data, the programme will empower Irish farmers to make informed breeding decisions; optimise herd management and animal welfare; and contribute towards Ireland’s climate action targets.
“I am confident that genotyping on a national scale will contribute to Ireland’s ambition to becoming a world leader in sustainable food systems, in line with our shared Food Vision 2030 strategy.”
The minister added: “We are well placed to develop work in this area. Ireland has made a good start on genotyping, particularly through my department’s innovative schemes to enhance the environmental and economic performance for the beef sector, such as the Beef Data and Genomics Programme [BDGP] and its successor Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme [SCEP].
“This new funding commitment from government, in partnership with all stakeholders, will facilitate genotyping a critical mass of our dairy and beef herds,” he commented.