The Sustainable Breeding Summit kicked off last night (Tuesday, April 5), with the first episode focusing on how the economic breeding Index (EBI) has delivered for Irish farmers.

The EBI was launched in 2001, replacing the relative breeding index (RBI) that had been in place. The EBI has been in place for 20 years now, and its success on many farms is without question.

The index is comprised of seven sub-indexes. Of these, milk production and fertility are the two most valuable traits, contributing 33% each.

The sub-indexes are: (1) Milk production; (2) Fertility; (3) Calving performance; (4) Beef Carcass; (5) Cow Maintenance; (6) Cow Management; and (7) Health.

The economic values in the index are based on data collected from Irish dairy farms and the dairy industry.

Sustainable Breeding Summit

In last night’s episode George Ramsbottom, a dairy specialist with Teagasc, was asked about how the EBI has delivered for Irish farmers.

George told viewers: “EBI has delivered around one billion euro in additional profit to dairy farmers in the last 20 years.”

“This has been achieved by improved milk production and fertility within the national herd,” he said.

He added that the EBI is now getting international recognition as dairy farmers are looking to become more sustainable.

George Ramsbottom

From RBI to EBI

Eoghan McCarthy, a dairy farmer from Kilorglin, Co. Kerry, explained how the use of EBI has developed on his farm since its introduction.

Eoghan told the panel and viewers that in the early 1990s the focus on farms was the RBI system, which was based purely on what a cow would milk.

He explained that he was interested in retaining cows within his herd and taking a break for December.

“When the EBI came out, I could see huge benefits from the fertility side of it,” he said.

“It helped to keep and breed from fertile cows, which the RBI never allowed you to do.”

Fertility

Commenting on fertility and having a compact calving was Robert Hovenden, a dairy farmer from Rathdowney, Co. Laois who said: “It’s hard while it happens, but it eases the rest of the year.

“It means you enter the breeding season, free of the calving season – it’s one thing at a time.”

Michael Ryan, a dairy farmer from Cashel, Co. Tipperary added: ” 20 years ago when I was in college the farmer of the year had a 402-day calving interval.

“Now the farmers on the panel here are looking at 365-days of a calving interval. The use of EBI on farms has almost naturally improved the fertility within herds.”