A show and sale of organic heifers will take place at Gort Mart in Co. Galway on Thursday (October 1).

The sale has been organised by the Organic Beef and Lamb Innovation Group (OBLIG), a sector initiative that was officially launched by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, last month.

The sale, the first to be arranged by OBLIG, was officially launched at an event earlier this month held on the farm of Eamon Callaghan in Kinvara, Co. Galway, a short distance from Gort.

The launch event was followed by a farm walk.

OBLIG said that Callaghan will "have a selection of his top quality heifers on sale".

Availability issues

Some farmers have, for many years, opted to obtain a derogation for non-organic breeding heifers due to availability issues, according to OBLIG.

This means receiving official permission from an organic certification body to buy conventional (non-organic) female cattle for breeding, due to organic heifers not being available to buy in sufficient numbers.

"Now that there is more quality stock available, farmers will be able to buy organic heifers, ensuring they will stay within the system," the sector group said.

Callaghan joined OBLIG in January this year, when the group was still in a pilot stage.

According to Callaghan he had already availed of the OBLIG reseeding programme, with the sowing of multispecies, in which the stock "are thriving".

There will be four categories at Thursday's sale:

2024/2025-born continental heifers;
2026-born continental heifers;
2024/2025-born traditional heifers;
2026-born traditional heifers.

The traditional breeds at the sale will be Angus, Hereford, and shorthorn.

There will be €1,000 in prize money up for grabs, with a first, second and third place for each category.

"This sale will showcase some top quality genetics, and is an ideal opportunity to improve your herd with some exceptional organic replacements," the organisers said.

Building a stronger future

According to OBLIG, which was officially launched in late August, the objective of the group "will be to retain the value of organic beef and lamb for the farmer and consumer".

Farmers, finishers, processors and retailers will all be part of the initiative, with the aim of "building a stronger future for Ireland's organic beef and lamb".

OBLIG is a European Innovation Partnership (EIP), and is co-funded by the EU and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.