Farmers finishing young bulls are being warned by Meat Industry Ireland (MII) to ensure they do so in tandem with a beef processor so that they have a “secure market” for their finished stock.

It said that young bull production remains the dominant beef production system across Europe, with specialised production systems in place, which MII claims makes it challenging for Irish young bull beef to secure the market position needed to deliver sustainable market returns.

“Farmers considering young bull production need to ensure that they do so in conjunction with a beef processor, to ensure they have a secure market outlet in place for their finished animals,” MII warned in its Beef Sustainability Report.

The report looks at the beef sector’s progress to-date on emissions and contains a roadmap to 2030.

Bull beef systems

The warning comes despite recent Teagasc figures showing that bull beef systems can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 32% compared with a typical 24-month bullock system. The stock used were all spring-born Holstein Friesians bought in as calves at around a month old. Teagasc research also shows that bull beef systems provide an opportunity to reduce age at slaughter, a key target of MII’s report and the Government’s Climate Action Plan, with young bull systems finishing animals at under 16 months.