The Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) got the green light at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the breed society to continue assessing the merits of establishing an IVF nucleus herd.

The initiative, which is termed GenÉireann, has caused serious discord among breeders and prompted the calling of the EGM in the Horse and Jockey, Co Tipperary, last week, which was attended by around 160 members.

“Following presentations, the floor was opened to comments and questions from members. A large number of members spoke, both for the initiative and with concerns on the initiative,” a spokesperson for the IHFA said.

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“As the meeting progressed the general feeling was that having a discussion about the proposal at this very early stage was inappropriate and much more work needed to be done before an adequate evaluation could take place,” the spokesperson added.

“Eventually an amendment was passed to allow the board time and space to evaluate the proposal and revert to the members in due course,” the spokesperson stated.