BDGP deadline four weeks away

Q. How many herds are currently not on course to meet the 31 October target?

A. There are 2,056 herds (9%) currently not on course to meet the 50% genotyped four/five-star (eligible) female requirement on 31 October. The next evaluation on 6 October will see a further 300 herds become compliant, as four/five-star females in these herds will receive their first genomic evaluations and become eligible. Projecting forward to the November evaluation (published 24 November), based on samples returned by farmers, a further 200 herds should become compliant.

Herds are also becoming compliant by purchasing females. Approximately 600 of the non-compliant herds have purchased eligible females since the start of July. The number of herds purchasing females is increasing each week.

What is the penalty for not meeting the eligible female target?

The total penalty/clawback would be the equivalent to 140% of a herd’s gross annual payment. About 20% of each year’s payment is for the female replacement requirement. It is a six year programme, so 20% x 6 = 120%. There is then a further 20% penalty applied for non-compliance, totalling 140%. It would mean a herd receives no payment in 2020 and have the equivalent of 40% of an annual payment clawed back through another Department of Agriculture payment.

What is being done to help herds meet the target?

ICBF and the Department of Agriculture are doing as much as possible to help herds to meet the target on 31 October. Over 2,100 herd owners have been contacted over the last two months to inform them that they do not have enough eligible females and to offer advice or help where possible.

Herds with ungenotyped four/five-star females were targeted for extra genotyping this year. Special mart sales of genotyped four/five-star females have been organised in conjunction with DAFM and ICOS. The ‘Mart Tracker’ facility has been made available on the ICBF website, which allows farmers to see the numbers of eligible females for sale in marts on that day.

Are these genotyped four/five-star females available for purchase?

Yes they are. Last week, 1,633 eligible females were traded through 65 different marts across the country. This number was up from 1,376 the previous week and 994 the week before that, so the numbers are increasing significantly each week. Special sales of BDGP-eligible females have been organised by marts and the feedback so far has been very good.

Information on upcoming sales is available on the ICBF website (www.icbf.com). There are also significant numbers of animals being traded privately. Up to 40% of eligible females traded since July have been via farm-to-farm sales.

How will a farmer know if an animal is BDGP eligible when purchasing?

The mart boards clearly state whether an animal is BDGP eligible or not. When an animal’s details appear on the mart board, the index details will be at the bottom. Look for where it says ‘BDGP Eligible’.

Underneath it will either say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If it says ‘Yes’ the farmer can buy the animal knowing that it will be counted as an eligible female once it moves into the herd. For farmers buying privately, they must check three things to ensure the animal is eligible. The animal must be:

It is the evaluation on the day of purchase that counts. The index details in the BDGP Eligibility Report should not be used for buying or selling animals. An animal’s €uro-Star details should be checked online before any purchase is made. A genomic tag in an animal’s ear does not automatically mean it has a genomic evaluation. Again, this should be checked online. Where a farmer cannot check online, they can phone ICBF to check if an animal is eligible by providing a tag number.

If a farmer sells their stock bull now will they receive a penalty?

No, the last target deadline for stock bulls was 30 June 2020, so a farmer can sell a bull now and not receive a penalty.

Once the 31 October deadline has passed, can I sell eligible females, even if it brings my herd under the 50% threshold?

Yes, farmers are required to have the animals in their herds on 31 October. Once this date passes, farmers can sell animals if they wish.

Firstly, find out where your herd stands and how many animals you are currently short. Find out if you have any four/five-star females that are due to receive genomic evaluations in October or November.

You may have enough animals in the herd already to get you over the line. If you find yourself having to purchase animals, ensure that they are eligible before purchasing. Mart boards clearly state whether an animal is eligible or not. If purchasing privately, check the animal’s tag number on the ICBF Animal Search facility (www.icbf.com). Check the age, index and genomic evaluation status.

Finally, I would encourage farmers to ring ICBF if they have questions, particularly if they need to check the eligibility status of an animal before purchasing. ICBF can be contacted on 023-8820452 or via email at query@icbf.com.