Following on from the beef index updates introduced in 2025, a commitment was made to review the economic values again once updated EU beef price forecasts became available.
These forecasts were released earlier this spring, and the impact of the updated beef price on the Terminal and Replacement Indexes has now been assessed.
What is changing?
The main change is an update to the economic values used in the Terminal and Replacement Indexes.
These values are based on the Teagasc Beef Systems model and reflect expected costs and returns in beef production. As beef price outlook has improved, the economic importance of several traits has increased.
- Traits linked to output and sale value (e.g. carcass weight, cull cow weight) now have a higher value
- Traits related to efficiency and fertility (e.g. calving interval, gestation) are also impacted indirectly
There are no changes to the underlying breeding values (PTAs) — only the economic values used to calculate the overall index.
How are the indexes calculated?
The Terminal and Replacement Index values (€) are calculated by:
- Taking each trait PTA (e.g. carcass weight, calving difficulty, milk)
- Multiplying it by its economic value
- Adding these together to give the overall € index value
When economic values change, the overall index value will change even if the animal’s PTAs stay the same.
What does this mean in practice?
- Animals strong for carcass and output traits will generally see increases in their index values
- Animals with good fertility and efficiency traits will also benefit
- Some animals may move up or down slightly, but this is driven by the change in economic emphasis rather than new data
Overall, the updated indexes better reflect the expected future profitability of animals under current market conditions.
Key changes to economic values
| Trait | May 2026 | July 2026 | Impact |
| Carcass weight | €5.89 | €6.68 | Increased emphasis on carcass – animals with higher PTAs will see a greater increase in index |
| Gestation | -€3.68 | -€4.04 | Shorter gestation more strongly rewarded – animals with lower PTAs will see a greater increase |
| Calving interval | -€4.12 | -€4.66 | Greater emphasis on fertility – animals with shorter calving interval will see a greater increase |
| Survival | €2.09 | €2.16 | Slight increase in emphasis – animals with higher PTAs will see a modest increase |
| Milk (maternal weaning weight) | €3.19 | €3.73 | Increased emphasis on milk – animals with higher PTAs will see a greater increase |
| Cull cow weight | €5.15 | €5.96 | Increased emphasis on cull weight – animals with higher PTAs will see a greater increase |
Why are these changes important?
The beef indexes are designed to rank animals based on expected profitability. Updating the economic values ensures that:
- The indexes stay aligned with current and future market conditions
- Farmers are selecting animals based on real economic returns
- The indexes continue to support efficient and sustainable beef production