Cuts of beef specific to cattle produced from the suckler herd "is not really a feature of the trade any more", according to Bord Bia beef and livestock sector manager, Joe Burke.

Speaking on a panel discussion at the Teagasc BEEF2026 open day, panel chair Sean Doorley who is a Teagasc beef and sheep adviser, asked the Bord Bia beef and livestock sector manager if beef from suckler farms is marketed differently to beef from the dairy herd.

Burke explained: "The short answer really is - not especially."

However, he also highlighted the important role suckler beef continues to have in the Irish beef industry.

"Beef from the suckler herd is really important, really good for our image, really good in terms of the reputation that we have built up for Irish beef over many decades," Burke said.

"But now when beef goes into a boning hall and it's deboned, you're mostly exporting the beef in vacuum-packed cuts.

According to Burke, in the past, there was particularly strong demand from the Italian market and a few other markets "for these animals of superior conformation".

He acknowledged that suckler-bred cattle, in particular, those 'U' grade cattle, are "going to have a higher meat yield".

"They're going to have a superior grading profile, so you're going to get a few percent more of meat cuts from your carcass from the boning hall.

Burke affirmed that in the current beef markets, there is no clear differentiation between beef from the suckler herd.

"It doesn't necessarily go to different market outlets but it's a fact it's not sold separately to specific outlets and channels," he added.

More details on the research presented at BEEF2026 on this and a wide range of other topics relating to beef production are available on Agriland's BEEF2026 Knowledge Hub.