The Department of Agriculture has recently circulated Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) eligibility reports to participating farmers. The reports detail the current position of the herd and how that relates to the 31 October 2020 female requirement.

If a herd is not meeting the target of possessing 50% of your reference number as eligible females, it will not have any effect this year’s payment. The report allows sufficient time for farmers to take remedial action, if necessary, to hit October 2020 targets.

Many herds are likely to retain animals that are currently not eligible due to age or genomic status, but may be eligible to contribute to next year’s target. ICBF explain that where animals in the herd are currently not genotyped, but have potential to contribute to herd targets, they will be prioritised for genotype selection next spring.

Animals must be four or five stars on the replacement index on a within and / or across-breed basis, on their first genomic evaluation, or at time of purchase where an animal that has already been genotyped is entering the herd. Females must also be a minimum of 16 months of age on the target deadline date. Animals purchased into the herd on or after 05 June 2015, must have been born on or after 01 January 2013. Females born prior to 01 January 2013 will be deemed eligible provided they were born in the herd or purchased prior to 05 June 2020.