The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) has today (Wednesday, June 21) officially opened the National Genotyping Programme (NGP) for online applications.
The ICBF has described the National Genotyping Programme as a collaborative initiative enabling Ireland to take the first step in achieving a fully genotyped national herd.
The federation said that the scale of the programme is a ‘world first’ and sees Ireland placed firmly at the forefront when it comes to national sustainability efforts.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue formally announced the €43 million programme last month.
The voluntary genotyping programme, which will be available to both beef and dairy herd owners, will run over a five-year period.
National Genotyping Programme
The NGP has been developed based on a cost-sharing model between the programme partners, consisting of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and participating farmers.
The first year of the programme will be funded by the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR). For the remaining four years, the genotyping costs of €18/sample will be divided equally between the three programme partners:
- DAFM,
- DII and MII;
- Participating farmers (i.e., €6 contribution per programme partners).
Genotyping the national herd aims to provide an opportunity for both the dairy and beef industry to increase its sustainability credentials on a global scale.
Ireland will become the first country in the world to provide a DNA-verified traceability system.
The ICBF has said that it will lead to an acceleration in the rates of gain of the national breeding indexes (e.g., economic breeding index (EBI), Eurostar and dairy beef index (DBI)), which will enhance farm sustainability and reduce carbon emissions.
Chair of ICBF, Michael Doran, commented: “It is great to see government, industry and farmers coming together on this initiative.
“It will help provide a range of decision-making tools that will enable us on our journey towards meeting our environmental, social, and economic sustainability targets.”
The federation is encouraging farmers to apply for the NGP online via the ICBF website as soon as possible, however it’s understood there are some issues with the website today, due to the volume of users logging on.
Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) participation and/or HerdPlus is a requirement for all herds accepted into the programme.
Applications will be dealt with on a first come, first served basis. However, all applications are subject to final approval, according to the ICBF.
ICBF CEO, Sean Coughlan added: “We are in a very challenging time for our industry and it is great that we have tools at our disposal to help deal with those challenges.
“This first phase of genotyping the national herd is a great opportunity for farmers to invest in their businesses with the help of government and industry.
“I would encourage farmers to sign up early as indications are that the scheme will be over-subscribed on the dairy side.”
The closing date for applications for dairy herds is July 14, 2023. The closing date for beef herds has to yet to be confirmed.