Controversy between breed societies and the ICBF remains very much to the fore. The Limousin Society has recently suspended its Whole Herd Performance Programme (WHPR).
This will come as a major blow to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), given it is one of the largest and most influential societies in Ireland.
It shows a clear lack of faith in a system that ICBF has insisted will increase the genetic evaluation of pedigree cattle.
Breeders are gambling with their future
The Charolais Cattle Society has also called for a review of €uro-star indices, which indicates a similar lack of faith in the ICBF.
However, ICBF remains adamant that genetic improvements are being made in the suckler herd, with shorter calving intervals and over 1m cattle genotyped.
By 2020, at least half of every herd for farmers in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) must be four or five €uro-stars.
The Charolais Cattle Society has called for an end to the link between farm payments and €uro-stars, as it believes this is perpetuating an untried system and having a negative impact on the national suckler herd. But what to other breed societies think?
Irish Simmental Society
Junior champion and top-priced bull, Clonagh Just A Dream, who sold for 12,500. \ Alfie Shaw
"The Simmental Society has always recognised that there is a need to measure efficiencies within the beef suckler herd and there are a lot of important traits that are not visually detectable.
"Pedigree beef breeders have driven the genetic gains in the suckler herd over the past 40 years and with only one representative on a board of 16, they feel powerless to shape the future of their industry.
"It takes approximately three years from when you select a sire for a pedigree female to when you can judge the merits of that selection. In that timeframe the sire’s figures will have changed nine times. Breeders are gambling with their future.
"We have been proactive in trying to understand the science behind the figures, so that we can explain to breeders why the values are changing."
We have asked the ICBF board to employ a beef specialist
"The Simmental Society has looked for a technical manual on how the indexes are formulated since July 2016 and the first stage of this was only delivered earlier this week, which is surprising seening that a scheme as important as the BDGP is built around this index.
"Another major issue constantly highlighted to ICBF is the fact that the €uro-star system does not promote the introduction of new bloodlines, which are the lifeline for any breed to continue to develop and flourish.
"We have had to remove ourselves from the gene-Ireland programme because ICBF was making unilateral decisions in relation to bull selection and ignoring our concerns in relation to the narrowing of the breed’s gene pool.
"In conclusion, the Simmental Society has had major concerns regarding the makeup of the €uro-star index for a number of years, in particular the lack of weaning weight data, which should be at the core of any suckler cow rating system."
The pedigree sector is all too often ignored.
"We have asked the ICBF board to employ a beef specialist to look into the concerns of all breeds and as part of this have also called for an independent audit of the index.
"It is regrettable that neither of these requests have been addressed at board level.
"The society has always been a keen supporter of the ICBF concept, but as a stakeholder feels that the concerns raised by the pedigree sector are all too often ignored."
Shorthorn Society
Annfield Dawn, the junior heifer calf All-Ireland champion. \ Alfie Shaw
"The Shorthorn Society is actively promoting the participation of its members in the WHPR.
"The collection of accurate data is very important to the breed. With regard to the €uro-stars, there have been a lot of issues regarding the constant changes, constant moving of goal posts in the BDGP Scheme, which is far from ideal.
"In hindsight, it was poor judgement to link any Government scheme to these constantly changing figures."
It has created needless additional stress
"It has created needless additional stress for farmers that have enough stresses to deal with in recent times. It is support that farmers need at present.
"There needs to be a lot more transparency regarding the Government's long-term national agricultural strategy. It is definitely the elephant in the room.
"On a day-to-day basis we would be reasonably happy with the herd book services and support that ICBF provides."
Irish Limousin Cattle Society
Reserve senior champion Millburn Lismore, who sold for 3,700. / Kathryn Shaw
"The Irish Limousin Cattle Society (ILCS) has always been proactive in relation to data collection, being the first Irish breed society to introduce linear scoring and weight recording.
"Since ICBF was formed the ILCS has participated in all the different initiatives and has been active at industry meetings. It would have been the view of ILCS that ICBF should have a dedicated beef specialist, which would benefit all parties involved in the beef industry."
Fluctuations in the indexes have resulted in frustration
"The €uro-stars is the currency that is recognised within the beef industry, however the continual fluctuations in the indexes have resulted in frustration for both breeders and commercial farmers.
"The movement is making it difficult to make breeding decisions and is also resulting in a narrowing of the gene pool, not to mention financial implications.
"When the ICBF first met the Limousin Society council it outlined the requirements of the WHPR, what the stamp would mean and that the stamp would be an integral requirement for pedigree breeders wishing to sell pedigree cattle going forward."
The ICBF, however, has fallen well short
"The ILCS adopted the programme and made it a mandatory requirement to have the WHPR stamp for premier sales. The ICBF, however, has fallen well short of these commitments and as a result the society has suspended the mandatory requirement ruling for the October premier sale.
"We are currently in communication with ICBF in relation to a number of areas where we feel the ICBF needs to deliver what it promised. We are very hopeful that with dialogue the areas of concern can be agreed and the Irish Limousin Cattle Society, will be able to endorse the scheme again."
Belgian Blue Cattle Breeding Society
Doc's Nathan Carter, Belgian Blue champion at the Newmarket-on-Fergus and Tralee Show. Owned by Thomas Doherty, Co Clare / Shanon Kinahan
"It is very important to note that we, as farmers and food producers, have made huge efforts and serious financial commitment to the beef industry in this country.
"Regardless of which beef breed we have a personal preference for, we have decades of experience handed down over generations.
"This has to be foremost in our minds as we progress in farming, while we embrace change and adapt to new technology. Experience has to count for something and cannot be bought."
I believe we have lost serious ground in recent years
"Farmers’ opinions, based on real trials and production methods over generations, need to be acknowledged and appreciated by legislators.I believe we have lost serious ground in recent years.
"With circa 4m people, we are without doubt an export country and realistically we need to have a good and properly funded animal welfare scheme that will instil confidence in our customers overseas, who buy and pay a reasonable price for our product.
"Animal health policy has to be a priority. When we had a proper animal welfare scheme in place, which could always be improved on, we scrapped it. This had a detrimental effect on live exports and undoubtedly gave rise to increased use of antibiotic treatments to correct animal health issues."
Yet another layer of red tape
"It also, I believe, contributed to farm safety issues having to deal with wilder and uncontrolled animals. The WHPR and BDGP Scheme have some excellent aspects and, where applicable, should be used as a guide to help management at farm level together with farmer experience, and not be used as yet another layer of red tape.
"The science used here is not yet proven as we are still collecting data. Genomics (analysis of the DNA) are very technical and over-complicating day-to-day management decisions at farm level."
Irish Charolais Cattle Society
Trevor Phair from Enniskillen with his son, Connor, and the senior champion at the Charolais show and sale in Dungannon. \ Houston Green
"The €uro-star indexes are moving too much to have them linked to a payment scheme like the BDGP. There are well-known AI bulls that were genotyped five stars, which later moved to one-star and vice versa. How can we have faith in genomics or a system where that can happen?
"The percentage of these extreme movers may be small, but it is the percentage that move from four-star to three-star, four-star to two-star, five-star to three-star and so on, that are the real issues for farmers.
"The board of ICBF does not fairly represent the cattle breeding industry in Ireland. Six directors come from the one AI company and no other AI company has any representatives on the board. The IFA has four directors on the board, how many shares does the IFA have in ICBF to allow it to hold four seats, especially when one man is representing 15 different beef breed societies?"
Work with them and cease their dictatorship
"The lack of communication from ICBF to beef breed societies is highlighted in the fact that there was no beef industry meeting held for over a year, yet dairy industry meetings were ongoing.
"The ICCS is fully in favour of on-farm performance recording, but WHPR is not working and is certainly not the answer. It’s time the ICBF sat down with beef breed societies, work with them and cease its dictatorship."
Aubrac Society
Breeder profile: PJ McGrath, Aubrac.
"Aubrac cattle are performing very well in ICBF's €uro-star ratings, where the breed's balance between maternal and beefing abilities is shining through. With the five-star ratings for maternal and the three to five-star ratings for the terminal, it has prompted many suckler farmers to try the breed (and they've been pleasantly surprised). So overall we are very happy with ICBF and the €uro-stars.
"That does not mean that improvements cannot be made. Farmers need reminding that €uro-stars (while they are needed to meet the requirements of the BDGP scheme) are a guide and should be used in conjunction with good visual inspection."
It is vital to maintain a broad gene pool
"It is vital to maintain a broad gene pool, so breeding totally five-star (particularly to the smaller breed societies) could be counterproductive. In the Aubrac society, where breeders use French AI bulls, the French figures need to be incorporated quickly so the bulls don't start with very low figures.
"Simplification of recording for farmers is important, because if it's too complicated, or there is too much of it, it won't happen and it definitely won't be accurate."
Read more
Helped or hindered? Breeders on ICBF impact
Star wars: breed society and ICBF lock horns on BDGP
Controversy between breed societies and the ICBF remains very much to the fore. The Limousin Society has recently suspended its Whole Herd Performance Programme (WHPR).
This will come as a major blow to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), given it is one of the largest and most influential societies in Ireland.
It shows a clear lack of faith in a system that ICBF has insisted will increase the genetic evaluation of pedigree cattle.
Breeders are gambling with their future
The Charolais Cattle Society has also called for a review of €uro-star indices, which indicates a similar lack of faith in the ICBF.
However, ICBF remains adamant that genetic improvements are being made in the suckler herd, with shorter calving intervals and over 1m cattle genotyped.
By 2020, at least half of every herd for farmers in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) must be four or five €uro-stars.
The Charolais Cattle Society has called for an end to the link between farm payments and €uro-stars, as it believes this is perpetuating an untried system and having a negative impact on the national suckler herd. But what to other breed societies think?
Irish Simmental Society
Junior champion and top-priced bull, Clonagh Just A Dream, who sold for 12,500. \ Alfie Shaw
"The Simmental Society has always recognised that there is a need to measure efficiencies within the beef suckler herd and there are a lot of important traits that are not visually detectable.
"Pedigree beef breeders have driven the genetic gains in the suckler herd over the past 40 years and with only one representative on a board of 16, they feel powerless to shape the future of their industry.
"It takes approximately three years from when you select a sire for a pedigree female to when you can judge the merits of that selection. In that timeframe the sire’s figures will have changed nine times. Breeders are gambling with their future.
"We have been proactive in trying to understand the science behind the figures, so that we can explain to breeders why the values are changing."
We have asked the ICBF board to employ a beef specialist
"The Simmental Society has looked for a technical manual on how the indexes are formulated since July 2016 and the first stage of this was only delivered earlier this week, which is surprising seening that a scheme as important as the BDGP is built around this index.
"Another major issue constantly highlighted to ICBF is the fact that the €uro-star system does not promote the introduction of new bloodlines, which are the lifeline for any breed to continue to develop and flourish.
"We have had to remove ourselves from the gene-Ireland programme because ICBF was making unilateral decisions in relation to bull selection and ignoring our concerns in relation to the narrowing of the breed’s gene pool.
"In conclusion, the Simmental Society has had major concerns regarding the makeup of the €uro-star index for a number of years, in particular the lack of weaning weight data, which should be at the core of any suckler cow rating system."
The pedigree sector is all too often ignored.
"We have asked the ICBF board to employ a beef specialist to look into the concerns of all breeds and as part of this have also called for an independent audit of the index.
"It is regrettable that neither of these requests have been addressed at board level.
"The society has always been a keen supporter of the ICBF concept, but as a stakeholder feels that the concerns raised by the pedigree sector are all too often ignored."
Shorthorn Society
Annfield Dawn, the junior heifer calf All-Ireland champion. \ Alfie Shaw
"The Shorthorn Society is actively promoting the participation of its members in the WHPR.
"The collection of accurate data is very important to the breed. With regard to the €uro-stars, there have been a lot of issues regarding the constant changes, constant moving of goal posts in the BDGP Scheme, which is far from ideal.
"In hindsight, it was poor judgement to link any Government scheme to these constantly changing figures."
It has created needless additional stress
"It has created needless additional stress for farmers that have enough stresses to deal with in recent times. It is support that farmers need at present.
"There needs to be a lot more transparency regarding the Government's long-term national agricultural strategy. It is definitely the elephant in the room.
"On a day-to-day basis we would be reasonably happy with the herd book services and support that ICBF provides."
Irish Limousin Cattle Society
Reserve senior champion Millburn Lismore, who sold for 3,700. / Kathryn Shaw
"The Irish Limousin Cattle Society (ILCS) has always been proactive in relation to data collection, being the first Irish breed society to introduce linear scoring and weight recording.
"Since ICBF was formed the ILCS has participated in all the different initiatives and has been active at industry meetings. It would have been the view of ILCS that ICBF should have a dedicated beef specialist, which would benefit all parties involved in the beef industry."
Fluctuations in the indexes have resulted in frustration
"The €uro-stars is the currency that is recognised within the beef industry, however the continual fluctuations in the indexes have resulted in frustration for both breeders and commercial farmers.
"The movement is making it difficult to make breeding decisions and is also resulting in a narrowing of the gene pool, not to mention financial implications.
"When the ICBF first met the Limousin Society council it outlined the requirements of the WHPR, what the stamp would mean and that the stamp would be an integral requirement for pedigree breeders wishing to sell pedigree cattle going forward."
The ICBF, however, has fallen well short
"The ILCS adopted the programme and made it a mandatory requirement to have the WHPR stamp for premier sales. The ICBF, however, has fallen well short of these commitments and as a result the society has suspended the mandatory requirement ruling for the October premier sale.
"We are currently in communication with ICBF in relation to a number of areas where we feel the ICBF needs to deliver what it promised. We are very hopeful that with dialogue the areas of concern can be agreed and the Irish Limousin Cattle Society, will be able to endorse the scheme again."
Belgian Blue Cattle Breeding Society
Doc's Nathan Carter, Belgian Blue champion at the Newmarket-on-Fergus and Tralee Show. Owned by Thomas Doherty, Co Clare / Shanon Kinahan
"It is very important to note that we, as farmers and food producers, have made huge efforts and serious financial commitment to the beef industry in this country.
"Regardless of which beef breed we have a personal preference for, we have decades of experience handed down over generations.
"This has to be foremost in our minds as we progress in farming, while we embrace change and adapt to new technology. Experience has to count for something and cannot be bought."
I believe we have lost serious ground in recent years
"Farmers’ opinions, based on real trials and production methods over generations, need to be acknowledged and appreciated by legislators.I believe we have lost serious ground in recent years.
"With circa 4m people, we are without doubt an export country and realistically we need to have a good and properly funded animal welfare scheme that will instil confidence in our customers overseas, who buy and pay a reasonable price for our product.
"Animal health policy has to be a priority. When we had a proper animal welfare scheme in place, which could always be improved on, we scrapped it. This had a detrimental effect on live exports and undoubtedly gave rise to increased use of antibiotic treatments to correct animal health issues."
Yet another layer of red tape
"It also, I believe, contributed to farm safety issues having to deal with wilder and uncontrolled animals. The WHPR and BDGP Scheme have some excellent aspects and, where applicable, should be used as a guide to help management at farm level together with farmer experience, and not be used as yet another layer of red tape.
"The science used here is not yet proven as we are still collecting data. Genomics (analysis of the DNA) are very technical and over-complicating day-to-day management decisions at farm level."
Irish Charolais Cattle Society
Trevor Phair from Enniskillen with his son, Connor, and the senior champion at the Charolais show and sale in Dungannon. \ Houston Green
"The €uro-star indexes are moving too much to have them linked to a payment scheme like the BDGP. There are well-known AI bulls that were genotyped five stars, which later moved to one-star and vice versa. How can we have faith in genomics or a system where that can happen?
"The percentage of these extreme movers may be small, but it is the percentage that move from four-star to three-star, four-star to two-star, five-star to three-star and so on, that are the real issues for farmers.
"The board of ICBF does not fairly represent the cattle breeding industry in Ireland. Six directors come from the one AI company and no other AI company has any representatives on the board. The IFA has four directors on the board, how many shares does the IFA have in ICBF to allow it to hold four seats, especially when one man is representing 15 different beef breed societies?"
Work with them and cease their dictatorship
"The lack of communication from ICBF to beef breed societies is highlighted in the fact that there was no beef industry meeting held for over a year, yet dairy industry meetings were ongoing.
"The ICCS is fully in favour of on-farm performance recording, but WHPR is not working and is certainly not the answer. It’s time the ICBF sat down with beef breed societies, work with them and cease its dictatorship."
Aubrac Society
Breeder profile: PJ McGrath, Aubrac.
"Aubrac cattle are performing very well in ICBF's €uro-star ratings, where the breed's balance between maternal and beefing abilities is shining through. With the five-star ratings for maternal and the three to five-star ratings for the terminal, it has prompted many suckler farmers to try the breed (and they've been pleasantly surprised). So overall we are very happy with ICBF and the €uro-stars.
"That does not mean that improvements cannot be made. Farmers need reminding that €uro-stars (while they are needed to meet the requirements of the BDGP scheme) are a guide and should be used in conjunction with good visual inspection."
It is vital to maintain a broad gene pool
"It is vital to maintain a broad gene pool, so breeding totally five-star (particularly to the smaller breed societies) could be counterproductive. In the Aubrac society, where breeders use French AI bulls, the French figures need to be incorporated quickly so the bulls don't start with very low figures.
"Simplification of recording for farmers is important, because if it's too complicated, or there is too much of it, it won't happen and it definitely won't be accurate."
Read more
Helped or hindered? Breeders on ICBF impact
Star wars: breed society and ICBF lock horns on BDGP
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