In launching the consultation on Ireland’s strategic plan for CAP, the Government has signalled its intention to introduce a new dairy beef welfare scheme.

This will incentivise dairy farmers to use either sexed semen or genotyping along with other measures.

I think incentivising the widespread use of sexed semen is a missed opportunity for the dairy industry.

For one thing, we know fertility is already poor on the average Irish dairy farm. Widespread use of sexed semen will make fertility worse and reduce profitability.

The genetic gain in EBI from such a scheme would be massive and bring about major environmental and profitability benefits

In my view, low-EBI herds should not be breeding any replacements, as genetic gain from a low base is just too slow. These herds should be incentivised to use 100% high-DBI beef and get replacements from high-EBI ‘breeding herds’, incentivised to produce surplus heifer calves.

The genetic gain in EBI from such a scheme would be massive and bring about major environmental and profitability benefits for both beef and dairy herds as more high-DBI beef calves would be produced from the dairy herd.

It is also worrying that there is no mention of dairy equipment in the new proposals for TAMS. Has the Government decided to no longer support dairy farmers with investments?