Thursday 29 July marks the official deadline for the submission of genotype samples and 2015 calf data as part of the BDGP. However, the ICBF has told the Irish Farmers Journal that allowances will be made for those who, for various reasons, were late receiving their tissue tags.

Broadly speaking, the advice is to get samples submitted no later than 28 days after receiving them. If you have not yet received tissue tags, contact the ICBF on 023-882 0222 or email query@icbf.com.

Genotyping is one of the six requirements of the scheme and applicants risk payment penalties where one or more of these requirements are not met.

Participants will be required to tag 60% of their reference number (cows calved in 2014), every year during the scheme. An animal can only be genotyped once.