Latest news with #AnimalIdentificationandMovement
Agriland
4 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Table: Cattle numbers slaughtered within 1 week of a mart sale
The overall number of cattle slaughtered within one week of being presented at a mart from January to July has fallen this year. That is according to figures obtained by Agriland from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). The DAFM data details the number of cattle slaughtered within one week of being presented at a mart (whether sold or unsold) from January 1 to July 31, 2025 with a corresponding figure for the same period in 2024. The data is subdivided by males, cows, and heifers and was extracted from DAFM's Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database on August 12, 2025. The table below details the number of bovines slaughtered within one week of being presented at a mart from January 1 to July 31, 2024 and January 1 to July 31, 2025: Type 2024 2025 Difference Cows 44,757 38,640 -6,117 Heifers 16,053 19,215 +3,162 All male cattle 20,113 20,121 +8 Total: 80,923 77,976 -2,947 While the overall number of cattle slaughtered within one week of being presented at a mart has fallen by almost 3,000 head this year, the number of heifers increased by over 3,000 head whilst steer numbers stayed much the same. The number of cows slaughtered within one week of being presented at a mart fell by over 6,000 head this year. However, the significant drop off in the cow kill numbers may have been an attributing factor to this. As of the week ending Sunday, August 10, total cow kill numbers have fallen by over 36,000 head this year, according to DAFM kill figures. The total beef kill (excluding veal) as of August 10 this year is running over 30,000 head below the same time period of 2024. There has been a significant level of discussion amongst farmers finishing cattle this year regarding mart prices versus factory prices and whether the mart or the factory sale outlet is returning the higher prices. The strong beef trade this year has significantly lifted prices for all types of cattle from finished cattle to stores and right down to calves. Some farmers are choosing to sell their forward cattle as stores at the mart whilst other farmers are confident to continue to fatten and finish their own cattle.
Agriland
31-07-2025
- General
- Agriland
Reminder: Weighing suckler pairs for the SCEP
Year four of the five-year Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) started on July 1, and weighing cow-calf pars is a core action of this scheme, making up 20% of the yearly farmer payment. The deadline to submit SCEP weights in the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) database is 5:30pm on November 1, annually. Weights must be submitted within seven days of recording. The requirement is to weigh the cow and calf on the same day, for which the calf must be over 50 days-of-age and not yet weaned from its dam. The ideal time to weigh is when the majority of calves are in the 5 to 8-month stage. Calves should be weighed before they are weaned. SCEP participants must weigh at least 80% of eligible animals born on the holding of the yearly reference number in each scheme year and their dams and submit these weights to the ICBF. The table below details the optimum time to weigh weanlings, according to the ICBF: Weanlings born between Recommended time to weigh July 1 - September 30, 2024 January 1 - March 31, 2025 October 1 - December 31, 2024 March 1 - June 30, 2025 January 1 - March 31, 2025 June 1 - August 30, 2025 April 1 - June 30, 2025 September 1 - October 31, 2025 Source: ICBF According to the rules and regulations of the scheme, each live calf must be un-weaned and weighed with its dam on the applicants' holding on the same day. Where a calf dies before 5 months-of-age or its dam, this must be recorded on the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) and the 80% does not include such a pair. All calves being submitted for weighing must be in the ownership and possession of the applicant since birth and maintained on the holding. Only registered scales used in accordance with the requirements of the scheme may be used for the purpose of this programme. Scales can be rented through 100 depots spread across the country in co-ops, marts, and FRS offices. Scales rented through the Cattle Weighing Scales Rental Service are automatically linked to a farmers' herd.
Agriland
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
New TB plan: Point of sale risk info for females over 18 months
A revised set of proposals to control the deteriorating figures for TB in Ireland will be presented to farm organisations tomorrow (Thursday, May 22). A series of bilateral meetings between Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, and farm organisations and other stakeholders, will take place, allowing for discussions on the plans. While its unclear whether these new proposals, seen by Agriland, will be finalised in their current form, Minister Heydon has repeatedly indicated that he wants to move quickly to get a new regime in place to control the spread of TB. Tomorrow's meeting is a follow up to an extraordinary 'summit' meeting that took place earlier this month, in which an initial set of around 30 proposals were presented. The revised proposals, to be presented tomorrow, include a number of notable changes to those presented in early May. This includes the provision that TB herd risk information will be provided at the point of sale for female cattle aged over 18 months, as opposed to all cattle under the previous proposals. As well as that, a new system of TB herd risk categories are outlined. The proposals are grouped into five categories, which are the same as outlined in the earlier proposals. These are: Support herds free of TB to remain free; Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of TB; Detect and eliminate TB infection as early as possible in herds with a TB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown; Help farmers improve all areas of on-farm biosecurity; Reduce the impact of known high-risk animals in spreading TB. Under each of these headings, there are a number of actions. Support herds free of TB to remain free Under these proposals, there will be a 30-day pre-movement test requirement for dairy cows, due to the higher risk associated with them. Suckler cows and males over 36-months can continue to to be sold in the six months following a clear test, but require a 30-day movement test after six months. The post movement test option will be removed. The sale of cull cows from restricted herds at special mart sales will be expanded to include the sale of dairy cull cows, with no animals allowed return home from such sales. Cull dairy cows can continue to be sold in marts on ordinary sale days with a 30-day movement test. To help reduce spread through contract rearing of heifers, one-to-one contract rearing will be encouraged, and the Animal Identification and Movement system will be used to record the movement of contract reared heifers. All animals returning from a contract rearer will require a 30-day pre-movement test. In overhauling the herd risk categories, the department defines a 'high risk' (H) breakdown as three or more standard skin reactors in the one breakdown. The current herd risk categories (C0 to C10) will be revamped into seven categories, C0 to C7+. There will be an increased focus on high risk breakdowns, and only these breakdowns will negatively impact a herd's categorisation. Only herds which have had three standard skin reactors in a single breakdown will be assigned a risk category. C0 herds are those that are less than one year post 'H' breakdown, while C7+ are clear for seven years or more of a H breakdown. The department also aims to ensure a consistent approach to the management of TB across all regional veterinary offices (RVOs); and to set up a phone helpline for farmers who enter a breakdown, to inform those farmers of what happens during a breakdown. Reduce the impact of wildlife The section on reducing the impact of wildlife sees little change from the proposals put forward earlier this month. However, the department is additionally proposing to develop a support package to facilitate the fencing-off of badger setts and installation of suitable water and feeding troughs for animals to prevent access from badgers. An additional action has also been added on the wildlife front that will see the department proactively targeting wildlife measures in advance of significant infrastructure work and forestry clear felling, in conjunction with relevant state bodies. Detect and eliminate TB infection Under this heading, the action on cleat test requirements has been revised so that all high-risk (H) breakdowns will require two clear skin tests at least four months apart before derestriction. The first reactor retests will be carried out 60 days after the removal of the reactor animals off the holding, as is currently in place. Reactor retest will be carried out at 60-day intervals until there is a clear reactor retest. It is only following a clear reactor retest that the clock starts on the four-month period. This revision means there will be an overall increase in time restricted, even if there are no reactors after the first 60-day retest. Biosecurity and high risk animals The final two headings, on farm biosecurity and reducing the impact of high-risk animals, have been slightly amended. On biosecurity, two actions have been added to the proposals: one outlines 'full enforcement' of biosecurity and testing requirements for controlled finishing units (CFUs); while the other specifies that where a dealer or associated herd number enter into a breakdown, both will be restricted, and each must undergo two clear skin tests prior to derestriction. On high-risk animals, this has been amended so that the sale of cows that were part of an exposed cohort at the time of breakdown – in breeding herds greater than 60 cows or more; or where 5% of exposed cohort test positive, or 10 reactors, whichever is the lesser – will not be permitted for two years after derestriction (as opposed to three years in the original proposals). The original proposals indicated that, for relapse H herds, no compensation will be payable for stock purchased from a herd which had a breakdown in the last five years. However, this measure appears to have been deleted in the revised proposals to be presented this week.
