The suckler herd is being culled automatically as you see a 58,000 drop in the suckler herd in the last year.
If this amount of sucklers drop yearly for the coming years, there will be more destruction done to the west of Ireland than with climate change, as marts will close and spin-off jobs will be lost in co-ops and local shops.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fallout
If you just look at the fallout from one year’s loss from the 58,000 cows, just take their weanlings – valued at an average of €800 each – coming to almost €46m now out of circulation in rural Ireland.
The genes of those cows, which were the most carbon efficient, easy-fleshing and self-sufficient by keeping the grass eaten, will be lost forever. That will be left there now to rot.
Then we see where ICBF and Teagasc favour dairy beef production with a breed that cannot be fleshed owing to its dairy breeding, with a high carbon footprint for a small kill-out weight and low profit margins.
Mind and hold on to what is left of our suckler herd - when it goes, it is gone forever.
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
DEAR EDITOR,
The suckler herd is being culled automatically as you see a 58,000 drop in the suckler herd in the last year.
If this amount of sucklers drop yearly for the coming years, there will be more destruction done to the west of Ireland than with climate change, as marts will close and spin-off jobs will be lost in co-ops and local shops.
Fallout
If you just look at the fallout from one year’s loss from the 58,000 cows, just take their weanlings – valued at an average of €800 each – coming to almost €46m now out of circulation in rural Ireland.
The genes of those cows, which were the most carbon efficient, easy-fleshing and self-sufficient by keeping the grass eaten, will be lost forever. That will be left there now to rot.
Then we see where ICBF and Teagasc favour dairy beef production with a breed that cannot be fleshed owing to its dairy breeding, with a high carbon footprint for a small kill-out weight and low profit margins.
Mind and hold on to what is left of our suckler herd - when it goes, it is gone forever.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS