Martina Harrington

The current national average age at first-calving in suckler-bred heifers is 32 months with only 19% of heifers calving for the first time at 22-26 (~24) months of age. There is huge potential for improvement to this important reproductive key performance indicator. The top 10% of commercial suckler herds and research herds are consistently calving […]

The Future Beef Programme is Teagasc’s flagship suckler beef demonstration farm network, comprising 22 farms representing typical Irish beef systems across geographical regions, diverse soil types, and contrasting stocking rates.  The programme demonstrates practical, adoptable technologies under three core objectives: Profitability Environmental sustainability Work-life balance A central principle of the programme is that profitability and […]

Suckler beef production in Ireland encompasses a wide range of production systems operating at varying stocking rates, although most farms are stocked at less than 130 kg organic nitrogen (N)/hectare (ha). This paper examines the key performance targets and indicators that determine efficiency, financial and environmental (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) performance of suckler beef systems, […]

Demonstration farmers are signed up to the Signpost Advisory Programme and AgNav. AgNav is a digital sustainability platform that helps Irish farmers measure, understand, and reduce their farms environmental impact by tracking emissions and guiding sustainability improvements. These farmers use AgNav to review their progress in adopting emissions-reducing technologies and to track their farm emissions […]

Improving the efficiency of the national suckler herd is a key priority for the Irish beef industry. Research and on-farm evidence consistently show that cows with strong maternal traits and of moderate size deliver superior lifetime performance. Balanced genetic selection is essential to produce a suckler cow capable of meeting both profitability and sustainability targets. […]