Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has been urged to ensure that the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) of all calves is displayed on mart boards.
The beef chair of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), Edmund Graham said there are “significant variations” in efficiency and cost effectiveness when it comes to finishing animals depending on their CBV.
Despite being launched by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) in December 2021, and assurance that the CBV would be displayed on mart boards in time, this hasn’t happened, he said.
The CBV is a tool for non-breeding beef farmers which allows for better insight into an animal’s genetic merit, according to the ICSA beef chair.
If those buying are to increase their efficiency – through maximising weight gain or finishing cattle earlier – then the ICBF needs to gather as much information as possible and display such in the marts, he urged.
“Farmers buying calves, weanlings, and store cattle in marts need this information to make informed decisions about what they are buying and how these animals are likely to perform.
“In the context of aiming to meet our climate targets this information is essential,” the ICSA beef chair said.
It is vital to encourage the breeding of more balanced type calves for beef enterprises and making the CBV a standard feature on mart boards is the only way to achieve that, he added.
“Increasing efficiency cannot be achieved if farmers are left in the dark about what they are buying,” the ICSA beef chair said.