The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) came in for heated criticism from representatives of the Charolais and Simmental breed societies.

Speaking in front of 300 people at the Beef Plan Movement’s meeting in Monaghan on Wednesday night, two key figures in the country’s breed societies questioned the ICBF’s strategy for the suckler herd.

Speaking from the stage, secretary of the Irish Simmental Cattle Society, Peadar Glennon questioned the direction the ICBF and the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) has sent the suckler herd towards. He expressed concern in the decline of suckler cow numbers and said this demise would have knock-on consequences for the wider rural economy.

He said there are “major spin-offs” for local economies from the suckler cow.

“If the suckler cow goes, she’ll bring a lot with her… the vet, the AI man they’re are all there because of the suckler cow,” Glennon said.

Glennon took exception with the maternal traits needed to have a four-star or five-star animal in the BDGP and accused the ICBF of favouring dairy-bred animals.

“The good, continental-type cow with plenty of milk is the perfect cow,” he said.

Glennon said the first-cross dairy cows have higher maternal ratings than beef-bred cows and, he claims, this direction has been “driven by the ICBF… favouring the dairy herd”.

Glennon’s sentiments were echoed by Kevin Maguire president of the Irish Charolais Cattle Society.

“We have been driven down the wrong way completely in terms of breeding by the ICBF. The suckler herd here is one of the finest in the world and we are known for our breeding across the world. The direction our herd has been pushed down by the genomics scheme is all wrong.”

Maguire also took aim at other farmer representatives. “Farming organisations have let us down and let us down very badly,” he said.

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