The number of controlled finishing unit (CFU) herds in Ireland has increased by 81 in the past two years, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
According to DAFM, as of November 2022, there were 374 CFUs or ‘feedlots’ in Ireland. As of December 2024, this figure had increased by 81 head to 455.
Over 370,000 Irish cattle processed at EU-approved slaughter plants were sourced from these 455 CFU herds in the first 10 months of this year.
The number of farmers opting to switch their herd to CFU status is increasing, as is the number of of factory cattle being sourced from these herds.
The table below details the kill numbers at EU-approved slaughter plants sourced from controlled finishing units (CFUs) from 2017 up to 2024 to date:
Month 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Jan: 20,000 24,000 28,000 25,000 25,500 28,500 37,000 40,000 Feb: 20,000 24,500 26,000 27,000 25,500 35,000 35,500 39,000 Mar: 21,500 24,500 27,000 27,000 28,500 36,000 36,500 36,000 Apr: 19,500 26,000 29,000 20,000 28,000 35,500 31,500 36,500 May: 25,000 29,000 31,000 22,500 28,500 40,000 37,500 39,000 June: 24,500 27,500 25,500 26,500 32,000 35,500 36,500 36,500 July: 19,500 24,500 26,000 26,500 30,500 34,000 32,500 36,500 Aug: 20,000 21,500 20,000 21,000 25,500 32,000 28,500 30,500 Sept: 18,500 18,500 13,000 22,000 25,500 32,000 27,500 35,500 Oct: 20,500 23,500 21,500 24,000 27,000 30,500 32,500 41,500 Nov: 28,500 26,500 20,000 27,500 31,500 41000 43,000 – Dec: 25,500 25,000 21,500 30,000 33,000 36,500 37,000 – Total 263,000 295,000 288,500 299,000 341,000 416,500 415,500 371,000
There are several reasons why beef finishers opt to switch their hers to CFU status with bovine tuberculosis (TB) precautions being one of the main reasons.
As part of Ireland’s Bovine TB eradication programme, if a beef finishing herd meets the necessary criteria, it is allowed to avail of a special status – known as a CFU.
A CFU herd is a specialised finisher of beef that does not deliberately engage in the active breeding of animals.
It is a non-breeding herd which disposes of all cattle on the holding direct for slaughter, and poses a minimal risk of infecting cattle on adjacent holdings.
To be considered eligible for CFU status, the holding must fulfill at least one of the following three criteria:
- The cattle are permanently housed (never on pasture) or;
- There are no contiguous holdings with cattle or;
- The boundaries are walled, double-fenced or equivalent, so as to prevent any direct contact with cattle on contiguous holdings;
- When a herd meets the criteria to be regarded as a CFU under the bovine TB Eradication Programme, the herd is restricted under the TB Regulations and a special official supervisory and testing protocol is established;
- Such herds are not exempt from testing, reactor removal or disinfection requirements. Restricted CFU herds (feedlots) are TB tested at least once a year.
According to DAFM, the CFU status arrangement allows the delivery of an effective level of disease risk management while controlling the risk of further disease spread in compliance with animal health legislation, and enabling business continuity in this particular type of enterprise through the inward movement of cattle.
Cattle from CFU herds (feedlots) restricted under the TB Eradication programme are only permitted to move to an EU-approved slaughter plant and may not be exported.