DEAR SIR: Congratulations on Andrew Cromie’s article on page 32 of a recent edition of the Irish Farmers Journal and for the excellent footnote by Aidan Brennan that accompanied it. Two highly relevant points arise:

  • The last sentence of Andrew Cromie’s article states “use teams of high-EBI GS bulls”.
  • GS signifies “genomically selected”.

    • On a previous page 27, in a letter to the editor, Mr Richard Whelan of the IHFA tries to justify the use of stock bulls by stating that the IHFA is now asking its members to have all stock bulls for sale genomically tested.

    He does not state that these bulls are subjected to any form of selection which would weed out animals with inferior results.

    He also overlooks the fact that the accuracy of an estimated EBI is only 40% to 50% at best for any bull.

    To overcome this, farmers are recommended to use a number of young bulls through AI.

    Unfortunately, these individual DNA-profiled young bulls are still little better than what the North Americans have referred to over my lifetime as “Barnyard Billies”.

    Their DNA profiles should prove of enormous value if any of Mr Whelan’s charges take to air travel and meet with a disaster, or become involved in criminality and need to be identified by the gardaí.

    It is regrettable that the IHFA still persist in trying to ignore and even denigrate the work of ICBF and its enormous contribution to dairy farming in Ireland.

    I was privileged to be invited to judge a section of the North Eastern Holstein Friesian Herds Competition a couple of years ago.

    My career in dairy farming ended almost 20 years ago, just as the concept of EBI and selection indices were introduced.

    The results of EBI and selection indices have been spectacular – calving indices of 365 days over large herds, high conception rates enabling tight calving periods, minimal calving difficulties, cow lifetimes on average five to six lactations (Holstein 2 to 2.5) and very high yields of actual milk solids.

    PJ Nolan introduced Brian Wickham, the first head of the ICBF, as: “The man who would take the politics out of sex in the Irish cattle breeding world.”

    Brian Wickham has left with one major part of his work still remaining.

    Well done to Andrew Cromie and his team on their spectacular achievement.

    Well done to your publication too, for highlighting the benefits of this important work in such a clear, understandable way.