It’s a tough time for the Belgian Blue Cattle Society. The number of farmers using AI straws of the breed has fallen off in recent times, mainly due to the advent of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), or the new suckler scheme as it has been known.

The breed doesn’t fit the requirements of calving ease and bountiful milk but it is still the go-to breed for shippers to Italy, as a result of its carcase conformation. It’s hard to beat a well-formed Blue for attracting buyers in the mart.

Still, as breeders would tell you, breeding policies are cyclical, and they are confident that the Blue will be in the tank of more AI technicians in the coming years.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, The Dealer understand it is not a drop-off in AI usage that is causing the most concern among the Irish Belgian Blue Cattle Society.

In recent days, a plethora of names from the top of the organisation have walked away. Society secretary Melvin Masterson as well as its president Trevor Ashmore and its vice president Martin Shiel have all stepped down from their duties.

Melvin has only recently taken the position of society secretary. Mary Duggan left in the last year after many years of service with the society.

This has left treasurer Sean Sherman as the most senior figure left in the society.

As I understand it, Sherman has written to other council members calling for a meeting to take place in the next week to try and resolve a number of issues.

All other breed societies love bickering in societies that aren’t their own – but what does it serve to achieve?

We’ll see what falls out of next week’s meeting.