Glanbia Ireland and Kepak Group launched the “Twenty20 Beef Club”, a fully integrated calf to beef programme, on Wednesday this week. Martin Ryan from Glanbia said it has been created to sustainably produce and market Irish heifer and steer beef. It will be underpinned by a fully traceable input supply chain.

Martin Ryan told the Irish Farmers Journal that the primary objective of the programme is to improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of calf to beef production in the Republic of Ireland for dairy and beef farmers.

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What requirements will you have to meet to qualify for this scheme?

  • Candidates must be Glanbia Co-op members in the Republic of Ireland or Kepak suppliers.
  • Candidates can be either dairy farmers or beef finishers.
  • Calves must come from Glanbia Ireland milk supplier farms.
  • Calves must be finished on the farm of birth (Glanbia farmers) or after one movement to a finishing farm.
  • The minimum number of calves is 25. There is no maximum.
  • All mainstream animal breeds are accepted (including Friesian, Angus and Hereford) with the exception of Jersey and Jersey crosses.
  • Objective selection criteria will be applied in the case of over-subscription. This includes trading history with Glanbia Ireland or Kepak as well as animal genetics.
  • Members must have the capability to adhere to strict production and farming standards.
  • Members must comply with contractual obligations.
  • Registration for the Twenty20 Beef Club will open Monday, 15 April with a target of 6,000 calves in its pilot year.

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