• “We have just completed our first tranche of 12,000 applications to the ACRES scheme. It’s a very important scheme for income on the drystock side of the house and we have also seen a huge interest in the new organics programme from drystock farmers” – Teagasc director, Professor Frank O’Mara.
  • “There is a direct negative relationship between health incidences on farms (liver fluke burden, pneumonia outbreak and liver abscesses) and age at slaughter. Cattle that were identified as coming from a farm where fluke were present took on average 38 days longer to finish. This is a huge cost in an indoor finishing system” – Natasha Meunier, Animal Health Ireland.
  • “We need to be very careful in selecting sires for maiden heifers in a two-year-old calving system. It’s very unlikely that a stock bull that is running with cows will also be suitable for heifers. There are more selection options with high-reliability AI sires when it comes to breeding heifers” – Dr Colin Byrne, Teagasc, Grange.
  • “Incorporating clover on farms in the west might create a little more difficulty if soil conditions are wet but I wouldn’t be hiding behind my county flag in looking for an excuse to not incorporating red or white clover in your swards” – Dr Nicky Byrne, Teagasc Grange.
  • It is time for a revision of the €uro-Star indexes. There are a lot of new initiatives starting next year, including a new suckler efficiency programme. We will include an age at slaughter sub-index and a carbon sub-index and we will also have a look at the economic values in the index to make sure they are reflecting what’s happening on the ground – Ross Evans, ICBF.