Ten-Point Action Plan on accelerating Dairy Calf to Beef systems in Ireland

Actions based on Breeding, Communications, Knowledge Transfer and Promotion 

This action plan has been developed in support of Food Vision 2030, in particular Action 1 –  Promote greater integration of dairy and beef sectors especially in relation to the production of beef coming from the dairy sector. Also Action 13 – Develop and support dairy beef systems – of Mission 2 – Goal 1 – Viable and Resilient Primary Producers, with Enhanced Well Being. 

The Calf Stakeholder Forum continues to promote several initiatives to improve calf welfare on dairy farms. The quality of the calf leaving the dairy farm remains the key factor in developing a sustainable dairy beef system, and must be a key priority for all stakeholders. 

The action points outlined identify actions that can be undertaken at farm level on both beef and dairy farms and at processing level that will ensure optimal calf health and welfare, and will facilitate greater uptake of dairy calf to beef systems.

Download Dairy Beef Action Plan – February 2024 (pdf) Read more on the 10 actions below. 

1. Profitable and environmentaly sustainable Dairy Beef systems
2. Sexed semen
3. Breeding
4. Capital grants available under TAMS 3
5. Knowledge Transfer
6. Demonstration Farms
7. Formalise relationships between dairy and beef farmers
8. Marketing Beef
9. Beef processors
10. Improved calf health and welfare

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Profitable and environmentally sustainable Dairy Beef systems

Progress to date

Research conducted at Teagasc Grange has established profitable and environmental sustainable dairy beef production systems using key technologies in relation to dairy beef genetics, calf rearing and health plus grassland management.

Next Steps

• Publish a series of factsheets on the key performance benchmarks for dairy beef systems that prioritise high farm profitability, high nutritional low carbon footprint beef, low purchase nitrogen surplus per hectare and high animal welfare ethical management practices. Q3 2024
• Organise a dedicated dairy beef conference in 2024 highlighting the latest development in new technologies. Q4 2024
• Disseminate knowledge on Dairy Beef through the DairyBeef 500 section of its website and other social media. Ongoing
• Report dairy beef as a separate cattle enterprise in the Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS) to monitor its annual financial and technical situation. Q4 2024

Lead Organisation

Teagasc

Supporting Organisation

DAFM.

Target Audience

All farmers – messages to be targeted and sector-specific.

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Sexed Semen

Progress to Date

Approximately 275,000 straws of sex-sorted semen were available for the 2023 breeding season, with this number expected to increase in 2024.  

The AI industry has reported significant increases in the use of beef AI in dairy herds with a corresponding reduction in the use of dairy AI which is driven by the adoption of sexed semen

Next Steps

• Targeted communication to issue to dairy farmers to incorporate sexed semen into their plans for generating replacement heifers. Q1 2024
• Provide clear communication on the optimum strategies to use sexed semen technology. Q1 2024

Lead Role  

Teagasc

Supporting Organisations

ICBF, AI companies, breed societies.

Target Audience

Dairy farmers.

More information

More information on sexed semen is available here on the Teagasc website  

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Breeding and Genetics

Progress to Date

The Dairy Beef Scheme in the CAP Strategic Plan will be launched in Q1 2024. The aim is to improve the value of dairy beef calves through incentivising the use of genetically superior beef AI/stock bulls (3 to 5 star on the DBI beef sub-index) in the dairy herds.

The Commercial Beef Value (CBV) reflects the potential profit of animals in a dairy beef production system. This provides confidence to beef farmers when purchasing dairy beef calves.

The launch of the National Genotyping Programme in 2023 should promote the use of the CBV, as it will be available on mart screens for all genotyped calves.

Next Steps

• Launch and publicise the Dairy Beef Scheme.
• Promote the increased use of AI sires with high DBI (incl Beef sub-index) genetics on dairy farms. Q2 2024
• Engage with marts to ensure that CBV is clearly communicated to farmers when purchasing calves.Q2 2024
• Develop a communication strategy targeted at beef farmers on the benefits of sourcing calves based on CBV. Q2 2024
• Develop strategies to accelerate the rate of genetic progress within the DBI. Q4 2024

Lead Roles 

AI companies/ICBF/Teagasc/DAFM/ICOS/breed societies. 

Target Audience

Dairy Farmers / Beef farmers.

More information

Breeding & Genetics

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Capital grants available under TAMS 3

Progress to Date

TAMS 3 currently grant-aids several calf specific investment items such as calf housing, calving gates and pens, calf creep pens, calf dehorning crates, milk carts and computerised feeders, livestock monitors (cameras), as well as health and fertility monitoring equipment for dairy cows. Grants range from 40% to 60% in the case of YoungFarmer Scheme, Women Farmers Scheme, and Farm Safety.

Next Steps

• Include specific TAMS 3 advice on dairy beef in communications to beef and dairy farmers. Q2 2024
• Issue communication on the grants available under TAMS for dairy beef investments. Q1 2024
• Host specific TAMs webinar on calf housing investment items. Q2 2024

Lead Role 

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Target Audience

Dairy and beef farmers. All farm advisors.

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Knowledge Transfer

Progress to date

A small number of dedicated dairy-beef discussion groups have been set up nationwide as part of DairyBeef 500. Teagasc has set a target of 3 such groups for each of its 12 advisory regions by 2025. The scale of the ambition should be increased and roll out accelerated. New entrants to Dairy Beef should be supported.
Lack of awareness at advisor level can be a barrier to uptake. Specialist training for all advisors on Dairy Beef systems to be increased.

Next steps

• Include specialist speakers on dairy beef production within the existing KT scheme. Q2 2024
• Engage with Teagasc and ACA on establishing more discussion groups in 2024. Q1 2024
• Meat and Dairy processors to encourage uptake of dairy beef technologies and integration. Q1 2024
• Dairy processors to promote and support their dairy farmer suppliers to use high DBI bulls (incl on Beef sub-index). Ongoing
• Dairy beef will feature strongly at Beef and Dairy 2024 Open Days. Q2 2024
• Run farm courses on dairy beef production. Ongoing
• Increase dairy beef advisory capability. Ongoing

Lead role

DAFM (KT Division) with Teagasc, ACA, ICBF and DII

Audience

Advisers and Dairy-Beef rearing farmers.

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Demonstration Farms

Progress to Date

The Teagasc DairyBeef 500 campaign was launched in the autumn of 2022 and runs up to the end of 2027. The campaign involves key stakeholders in the beef industry. The objective of the DairyBeef 500 Campaign is to reach a target net margin of €500 per hectare on DairyBeef farms.

There are 16 farmer demonstration farms and the Tipperary Calf-to-Beef demonstration farm in the DairyBeef 500 Programme.

Next Steps

• Organise a nationwide network of farm walks in summer 2024 – including DairyBeef 500 farms and other suitable farms. See Teagasc events section 
• Launch and run an Open Day at the Tipperary Calf-to-Beef demonstration farm in 2024. This farm is a joint venture between Dawn Meats, Shinagh Estates and Teagasc. Q3 2024
• All livestock farmers in the country to be targeted with direct tailored messages informing them of above events. Ongoing

Lead Role 

Teagasc and ACA, DAFM.

Target Audience

Beef farmers.

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Formalise relationships between dairy and beef farms

Progress to Date

DAFM has existing incentives to encourage collaboration and farm partnerships, for example the Collaborative Farming Grant. In addition, Macra has also provided the land mobility service to enhance land mobility.

Next Steps

• Collaborate with key stakeholders with a view to encouraging and developing networks and suitable partnerships between dairy and beef farmers. Q1 2024 and ongoing.
• Explore the role of marts to act as a facilitator between farmers where formal relationships or partnerships could be established. Q2 2024
• Examine scope for funding partnerships between beef and dairy farmers including to cover establishment costs. Q2 2024
• Include CBV on all transactional events – ICOS. Q4 2024
• Include CBV on all transactional events – MII. Q4 2024

Lead Role 

ICOS, DAFM, ICOS, MII and Teagasc.

Target Audience

Dairy and beef farmers.

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Marketing Beef

Progress to Date

Reverse the decline in carcase weight and disimprovement of the grading profile of Irish dairy progeny. Enhancing these important factors would benefit producer returns, and result in a higher proportion of prime carcases meeting the In-spec criteria (minimum conformation O=) to optimise price bonuses under the QPS. Achieving this through improved genetics and management will underpin Ireland’s overall beef quality reputation. The marketing reputation of both Hereford and Angus dairy-beef crosses has been well-established.

Next Steps

• Include dairy beef in the scope of market communication of quality beef from Ireland and underpin the ability to meet customer and scheme requirements, based on developments in dairy beef systems. Q2 2024

Lead Role 

 Bord Bia.

Target Audience

Purchasers of Irish Beef.

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Beef processors

Progress to Date

Beef processors have networks of suppliers that they can engage with. Dairy beef will be an increasingly important supply of beef in the future. Beef processors should promote the adoption of the best practices in relation to dairy beef genetics, calf rearing and grassland management.

Vertically integrated dairy and beef systems have a role in terms of beef genetics specification, farm to farm movement and achieving specific carcass specifications for specific market requirements.

Next Steps

• Develop and evaluate a range of industry led vertically integrated models for dairy and beef farmers, including formal tie-ups between beef processors and dairy beef farmers e.g. Kepak/Tirlán Twenty20 and ABP’s Advantage Beef Programme. Q4 2024
• Communicate the benefits of breeding for high quality dairy beef. Q2 2024

Lead Role 

MII, DII and Teagasc.

Target Audience

DAFM, Beef Processors, Farmers, Teagasc, Bord Bia.

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Improved calf health and welfare

Progress to Date

Actions to improve calf health and welfare have been discussed at the Calf Stakeholder Forum.
Animal Health Ireland (AHI), in conjunction with Teagasc, has been running CalfCare workshops for several years.
These have been very well received and are effective.
AHI has published information leaflets and videos on calf health and rearing.
The Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council has published an advisory booklet, “Calf Welfare Guidelines”

Next Steps

• Organise a series of roadshows on calf health and welfare, building on the current AHI CalfCare model. Q1 2024 and ongoing
• Facilitate an increase in capacity to hold calves for longer on dairy farms through the construction of new calf sheds including through promotion of TAMS for calf housing and calf rearing equipment. Q2 2024
• Promote best practice on colostrum feeding, animal health plans and overall calf and animal management. Ongoing
• Promote best practices and procedures to assure calf health and welfare at marts. Ongoing
• Promote the use of the existing Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) calf welfare guidelines and AHI information leaflets and videos on calf health and rearing by farmers and calf rearers, and the development by the sector of codes of practice based on these for use on farms. Q1 2024

Lead Roles 

DAFM, Teagasc, AHI and ICOS

Target Audience

Dairy farmers, calf rearers, mart managers 

Current actions

CalfCare On Farm Events 2024

More information

Calf Rearing