Ireland is uniquely positioned as having one of the most sustainable and carbon efficient suckler herds in the world.
We are also fortunate to have a unique infra-structure and eco-system that promotes the development of programs such as the BDGP and BEEP, including their integration into industry programs such as those operated by ICBF, Teagasc, Bord Bia and the broader beef industry.
Combined these are great examples of “policy meeting practice” and in doing so delivering real outcomes for our farmers and our industry.
There has been the clear evidence that higher genetic merit animals have significantly lower methane output/day than lower genetic merit animals (up to a 10% difference). This is based on direct measurement of methane data from a Teagasc-ICBF collaborative project “RumenPredict” located at the ICBF Tully performance test station, Co. Kildare, where a range of animals across different breeds, genders and genetic merit are being evaluated.
In the article extracted from the Teagasc Advisory Newsletter (August 2020), Paul Smith, Sinéad Waters and David Kenny of Teagasc Grange and Alan Kelly (UCD) report on RumenPredict and MASTER, international research consortia aiming to link the rumen microbiome with animal performance and GHG emissions.
Click here to read the full article.