We are pleased to announce that ICBF HerdPlus have won the Agribusiness of the year for Excellence in the Provision of Professional Services. This is nice recognition for the hard working team at ICBF. Also congratulations to Sheep Ireland for also making the shortlist.

Overview

HerdPlus is the breeding information service of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF). HerdPlus provides both beef and dairy farmers with user friendly performance reports and online herd management screens, based on data recorded on their animals. These reports allow farmers to analyse their own herd’s performance and to compare it to national averages and the top performing herds in the country. Farmers can, therefore, make more informed breeding decisions with the help of the HerdPlus service which will increase herd output and in turn improve profitability.

The HerdPlus Team

HerdPlus consists of a team dedicated to the provision of ICBF’s breeding information service. The helpdesk takes phone and email queries on a daily basis. Performance reports are posted to farmers throughout the year as well as being made available online. Each farmer has his/her own login to HerdPlus where they can access the complete range of HerdPlus services. The team also works on developing new reports and herd management screens. The wider ICBF team provides support for HerdPlus in areas such as IT, genetics and administration. HerdPlus is also very active on social media with a combined total of just under 11,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter. News articles are posted daily on our website www.icbf.com with the latest updates on cattle breeding. We also frequently attend industry events such as the National Ploughing Championships, farmer information meetings, farm walks, etc. Education and extension is also an important element of the HerdPlus service and training is frequently provided to industry partners on the latest cattle breeding developments.