We get quite consumed with prices, weather and applying the best technical efficiencies where possible on the farm. Farmers need to take a step back and assess their on-farm safety practices. In this particularly wet summer, any glimpse of good weather causes a mad rush to get things done and this is coupled with potentially hazardous shortcuts and a lack of awareness of farmers’ immediate surroundings.

A process has started in which extreme care must be adhered. I have started to feed the first batch of bulls – 15 in total. These bulls are mainly bred from the dairy herd with a few coming from the suckler herd, are currently 16 to 17 months old and will be slaughtered at 19 to 20 months of age. The predominant breed of these bulls is Friesian with some Charolais and Blonde d’Aquitaine making up the remainder.

The importance of correct feeding

The bulls are on 16kg of a high maize meal per head per day, along with some roughage. It is important to gradually introduce bulls to a high level or ad-lib meal feeding so as to tune their digestive system up to the migration of a predominantly grass/roughage-based diet to a predominantly concentrate/meal diet.

Five cull cows were recently slaughtered, grading from R+ to O= and weighing a deadweight of 340kg to 440kg. These were a mixture of Montbeliarde, Charolais and Friesian cows. There must be a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to culling cows which fail to hold in calf. Empty cows continue to cost farmers money when held on farm either calving late or running through to the following year.

Why is this reward not passed on to the farmer?

When casting my eye over the factory returns for the aforementioned cows, I could see that they are all Bord Bia quality-assured. There is, however, no quality-assured bonus paid for these cows. This is due to the exclusivity of this bonus for steers and heifers under 30 months of age and must grade O= or better and with a fat cover of not greater than 4=.

Why the private club? A cow with a QAS label on the carcase will be batched and sold separately than one which is a non-QAS cow. It will fetch a higher price for the meat processor, so why is this reward not passed on to the farmer? I believe that a system of rewarding farmers across the board for quality produce in the beef sector will enhance our industry and provide a better product for export across the board.

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