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A review of the board of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) and the abolition of the link between €uro-stars and payments was called for by the Irish Charolais Society at an Oireachtas Committee hearing on 22 May.
“Genomics has a vital role to play but we must first understand it,” Charolais Society secretary Neven McKiernan told the committee.
“We have seen many reliable well-bred AI bulls genotyped that were reduced from five star to one star.”
The Society also raised questions over the make-up of the current ICBF board, with just one representative from a pedigree society granted a seat on the board.
I think it’s going to drive down the whole beef industry
“Our four- and five-star bulls are making big money but the quality is very bad and I think it’s going to drive down the whole beef industry,” Charolais Society president Kevin Maguire said.
The society also stated it felt that there had been a lack of communication and consultation between breed societies and ICBF.
Many of the deputies at the Oireachtas hearing questioned the situation, with Willie Penrose from the Labour Party asking: “Under corporate government should we have six members (on the board) from AI stations?”
The Fianna Fáil spokesperson for agriculture Charlie McConalogue also expressed concern over the current lack of communication between breed societies and ICBF.
We’ve seen a huge decline in the quality of stock
McConalogue pointed out that there were clear issues, which had led to a lower than expected uptake of the scheme among farmers.
There were also issues raised regarding the quality of cattle by Cashel mart manager Alison de Vere-Hunt.
“In relation to the mart we’ve seen a huge decline in the quality of stock over the last number of years,” Hunt told the committee.
She continued that farmers might like an animal but were “turned off by the stars”.
“They’re (farmers) having to buy animals that are four or five stars because of the scheme but it isn’t working.
They’re really disillusioned and upset
“It’s really having an effect on the farmers’ pockets and they’re really disillusioned and upset.
“When they do get on to ICBF they’re saying there’s no one getting back to them or no one answering the calls.
“There’s nearly 7,000 suckler animals between 2010 and 2017 that have left the system in Tipperary.”
Hunt called for the re-introduction of the old suckler welfare scheme that paid farmers to ensure that youngstock were weaned before being sold.
ICBF
In response, ICBF stated that board members were put forward by the individual organisations, not ICBF, and that they had completed a full independent board review last year.
“The board is made up of three representatives from the AI sector, beef and dairy, three representatives from milk recording, six from farm organisations – four from IFA and two from ICMSA, two from IHFA, one from a pedigree society and one from the Department of Agriculture,” Michael Doran of ICBF stated.
The ICBF representatives acknowledged that overall declining carcase weight was a factor, but that this was due to the expanding dairy herd.
Less than 1% have moved from this magical five to one star
They also stated that they were committed to improving the genetic performance of the suckler herd and that they did not want to see an “influx of dairy genes” coming into the suckler herd.
On the issue of fluctuations on star evaluations, Dr Andrew Cromie of ICBF said: “Less than 1% (of animals) have moved from this magical five to one star.”
Overall, the Charolais Society called for the removal of the link between payments and €uro-stars, a review of the board and the possible introduction of a grant for on-farm weighing scales.
Committee chair deputy Jackie Cahill told the society: “We on the committee are taking your points very seriously.”
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