At ICBF, our goal is to help Irish farmers access the full potential of genetics to build more efficient, profitable, and sustainable beef systems. The newly launched ICBF Beef Quality Awards are an exciting step in that journey — celebrating farmers who are using the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) to make measurable improvements on their farms and across the wider beef industry.
Recognising excellence in beef production
Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, officially launched the awards at ICBF’s Tully Performance Test Centre in Co. Kildare. The initiative is sponsored by ICBF, FBD Trust, and six leading meat processors — ABP, Ashbourne, Dawn Meats, Foyle Food Group, Kepak, and Liffey Meats — all of whom are committed to promoting genetic progress and rewarding high-performing beef producers.
Each participating processor highlighted the advantages of sourcing cattle with strong genetic merit and commended their suppliers for embracing data-driven breeding decisions.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Heydon said:
“I’m delighted to be involved in this initiative. It’s really important that my Department support these awards because we don’t have enough awards for the beef sector in general. Awards recognise the best in class and highlight the possibilities to other farmers.”
Michael Berkery, Chairman of FBD Trust, also underlined the importance of supporting innovation within the industry:
“We are delighted to be supporting this initiative. These awards are a common good to improve the efficiency of the industry, to improve its competitiveness internationally, and particularly to recognise farmers and the industry that are making an effort through genetic improvement.”
Data-driven progress
ICBF Chairman Michael Doran expressed his gratitude to the Department of Agriculture for its continued support for genetic research and innovation in Tully.
“At the heart of these awards is our National Genotyping Programme (NGP), which the Department and meat processors have been financially contributing. We now have genomic data on over 1 million beef and dairy calves contributing to the accuracy of our national breeding indices. The goal is to get every animal genotyped at birth, which will ensure the CBV is readily available on all animals.”
Understanding the value of CBV
Research at the Tully Performance Test Centre continues to demonstrate the tangible benefits of selecting animals with higher CBV scores. More than 1,200 animals — including bulls, steers, and heifers — have been evaluated to date, measuring everything from feed efficiency and carcass traits to greenhouse gas emissions and meat quality.
Centre Manager Stephen Conroy explained:
“Tully is part of the Gene Ireland test programme; effectively what happens is that new high index bulls that are identified by the industry for which 500 doses of semen from each are sent out to farmers. That generates around 300 live calves. On-farm data from these calves is captured and recorded on the ICBF database. Progeny from each of these test bulls are put on test in Tully to record hard to measure traits such as methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions.”
The research has revealed a €283 difference in value per head between the top and bottom 20% of animals ranked on CBV.
Minister Heydon added:
“Better genetics and having more access to information, is helping farmers to make a greater net margin in the end. We see the difference between the top 20% and bottom 20% on CBV is over €280 per animal. That is a phenomenal margin that can be made from that knowledge. And as we roll out the NGP, more of that information will be available on our mart boards and that allows farmers to make really informed decisions.”
Teagasc Beef Systems Researcher, Nicky Byrne, echoed these findings:
“What we have found through our research in Teagasc Grange on Angus-sired animals, that every €1 increase in CBV translates in an additional €1.77 in net profit. Where that extra profit came from was increased carcase weight, increased confirmation and achieving that specification at younger ages, combined with reduced feed intake.”
Turning research into real-world results
According to Michael Doran, the next challenge is ensuring that more farmers use the CBV in their breeding and purchasing decisions.
“This award will help us to reward farmers that are actively using CBV in their decision making, with the hope that these awards will highlight to others the benefits of using the CBV to enhance profitability in their finishing systems.”
In partnership with the Irish Farmers Journal, profiles of the winning farmers will be featured in print and online over the coming weeks, highlighting the impact of genetics on farm performance. Looking ahead to 2026, each of the six participating meat processors will host on-farm demonstrations with their award-winning suppliers, showcasing how high-CBV animals perform in real-world production systems.
The ICBF Beef Quality Awards underline what can be achieved when science, data, and industry collaboration come together. By embracing the Commercial Beef Value and participating in the National Genotyping Programme, farmers can make more informed breeding and buying decisions — decisions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, and profitable beef production.
To learn more about the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) or to view CBV data for your animals, visit www.icbf.com and log in to your HerdPlus account.