Beef farmers in Ireland may soon benefit from the extension of the Interbull system which provides information on the best breeding bulls in the world to the dairy sector.
The Interbull organisation which operates in 30 countries combining information on six breeds of dairy bulls to the dairy sector, has now decided to extend its services to the beef sector.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production in UCD, Dr Brian Wickham said further progress had been made on this issue at its international agm at the weekend and at sessions held yesterday.
Dr Wickham of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, said Ireland was pushing to have the same system in place for the beef industry. "It is particularly important because so many of its beef breeds come from other countries and Irish breeders would like to have information that lets them compare, on an objective scientific basis, bulls available from a number of different countries."
He said in the diary sector there was large-scale trading in semen while in the beef sector, breeders tended to buy bulls or calves abroad and bring them into the country.
He said the main part of the Interbull meeting was devoted to an exchange of scientific information on a wide range of beef and dairy genetic evaluation issues and was attended by 150 technical experts from 35 countries.
A wide range of issues dealing with animal production were discussed at the conference at the 39 scientific sessions which are being attended by over 1,000 delegates from around the world.
A joint paper presented by Teagasc Moorepark, University College Dublin's veterinary college and the Department of Agriculture's veterinary services dealt with the genetics of tuberculosis in Irish dairy cows. The study of 24,286 Holstein-Friesian animals including 933 animals which had tested positive for the disease, concluded that exploitable genetic variation for tuberculosis susceptibility exists among Irish dairy cows.
Another Irish paper dealt with the way farmers could add value to their participation in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS). It said membership could be exploited by developing a "REPS" brand and this would strengthen the links between farmers with under-developed local food markets, community and community based recreational facilities, the wider food and non-food markets and non-food product markets and public good markets.
A French paper on the impact of pig farming in the Midi Pyrenees, found that French pig farmers there did not feel recognised as positive contributors to the regional landscape. The conference continues today.