Following the updates to the beef indexes in 2025, a commitment was made to review the values again this year once updated EU beef price forecasts became available.
These forecasts were published earlier this spring, and the impact of the updated beef price on all traits in the index has now been assessed.
How does this impact my animals’ index?
The Replacement and Terminal Index values (€) are calculated by multiplying each animal’s PTA (for traits like carcass weight, calving difficulty, etc.) by an economic value, and then adding these together to get an overall € value.
These economic values have now been updated using the Teagasc Beef Systems model to reflect the latest outlook for the sector. The improved outlook for beef price increases the value of traits linked to output (such as carcass weight and cull cow weight) and also has knock-on effects on other traits like gestation and fertility.
What’s being updated?
Based on EU forecasts for beef prices through 2030 and beyond, the beef price used in the Teagasc model has been increased.
This directly increases the value of production traits such as:
- Carcass weight
- Cull cow weight
- Milk (maternal weaning weight)
It also indirectly affects traits linked to efficiency, including:
- Gestation
- Calving interval
- Survival
What does this mean in practice?
- Animals strong for carcass and output traits will see increases in their index values.
- Animals with good fertility and efficiency (e.g. shorter gestation or calving interval) will also benefit.
NOTE: There is no change to the underlying breeding values — changes observed in test proofs are due only to updated economic values.
Key changes in economic values:
| Trait | May 2026 value | July 2026 value | Impact |
| Carcass weight | €5.89 | €6.68 | Increased emphasis on carcass – animals with larger PTAs will see a greater increase in index |
| Gestation | -€3.68 | -€4.04 | Shorter gestation is more strongly rewarded – animals with lower PTAs will see a greater increase in index |
| Calving interval | -€4.12 | -€4.66 | Greater emphasis on fertility – animals with shorter calving interval will see a greater increase in index |
| Survival | €2.09 | €2.16 | Slight increase in emphasis – animals with higher PTAs will see a modest increase in index |
| Milk (Maternal weaning weight) | €3.19 | €3.73 | Increased emphasis on milk – animals with larger PTAs will see a greater increase in index |
| Cull cow weight | €5.15 | €5.96 | Increased emphasis on cull weight – animals with larger PTAs will see a greater increase in index |