There was an increase of 49% in the use of high-commercial beef value (CBV) beef straws on dairy farms in 2024, according to Teagasc.

Pat Dillion, director of research at Teagasc, said its use is a “no brainer” in terms of increased profitability.

“In simple terms, the average CBV of a black-and-white calf born is about €0, the average CBV of a decent Angus-cross dairy calf is something in the region of €100,” Dillon said on Monday at the launch of Teagasc’s new report on innovation, sustainability and technical performance of the agri sector in 2024.

The CBV of calves born from the dairy herd has increased through the increased use of sexed semen and a strong movement to beef sires for non-replacement pregnancies.

Last year saw a rise of 20,000 straws compared with 2023

The usage of sexed semen in dairy herds has increased from approximately 85,000 in 2021 to 300,000 straws in 2024, according to Teagasc figures.

Last year saw a rise of 20,000 straws compared with 2023 and Teagasc has projected that that this will increase to 400,000 by 2026.

This growth will be facilitated by the two commercial sexed semen labs that are now operating in Ireland (NCBC and Dovea Genetics).

According to Teagasc, this increased usage has the potential to reduce the number of male dairy calves to 252,000 by 2026, a reduction of 167,000 relative to 2021.