Suckler farming has been a part of my life for almost 35 years and our own herd has constantly evolved within that timeframe. That evolution was mainly driven by circumstances on the ground, rather than any policy measure put in place, and I can see that trajectory remaining. Over that time, a range of beef breeds have been used.

Nine, if my memory serves me right. Some haven’t been used in 30 years, others 20 or 10, another wasn’t used for the first decade but became the backbone, and almost sole breed, for 20 years, while one of the foundation breeds made a return in recent years.

That breed recollection was inspired by news that there’s to be a shake-up of beef breeding indexes and the debate that will follow it. I’d be more for breeders working things out themselves rather than at the behest of a policy decision.

Everyone’s circumstances are different and a farmer’s limitations in terms of land, facilities, skills and, most importantly, time, all have a role in what choices they make.

Our own herd’s breeding changed as we moved from weanlings to finishing and commercial reasons were the driver, not policy. I’ve always had a huge interest in cattle breeding and I’ve probably become very boring when it comes to it.

Functionality, simplicity and cost-effectiveness are what I look for and I view breeding indexes in a similar way to the weather forecast, a useful guide but not the be all and end all.

The Irish suckler herd is a fascinating entity

I sometimes wonder if they take up more discussion time than they need to, and those debates have the capability to outdo a South American soccer derby when it comes to levels of passion and emotion.

Maybe that’s too much of a distraction.

The Irish suckler herd is a fascinating entity. Revered by those on the inside, scorned and derided by some on the outside, it is many things to many people. There’s a contrast in herd size that is matched by the variance in outlook and economic background of its practitioners, the main income source for one person and a hobby for someone else. A herd of 20 cows could be a week’s work for one farmer, or a few hours a week to another.

The key traits and targets differ among breeders too. Colour and style aren’t the sole preserve of weddings, they’re the most important KPI in some yards and of no relevance whatsoever to others.

Nationally, the suckler herd has ebbed and flowed with the policy changes throughout Ireland’s EU membership and the 1990s era of suckler cow premia was its heyday. You could argue that still, CAP and its associated schemes provide an economic cushion that mean critical commercial components in the global beef herd outside of the EU, such as calving at two, finishing stock younger, and fertility, aren’t viewed the same way here.

Much of the policy surrounding sucklers tends to come from both outside the sector and its traditional heartlands. The ground work on developing the next CAP is already under way and if suckler farmers want to influence the next one, the work starts now. Those on the ground in those areas know what works best, but what is needed for the herd to thrive over the next 20 years will be markedly different from the period between 1990 and 2010.

Devising a strategy to maintain the herd’s presence has to be more creative than longing for a return of headage payments or giving out about the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP).