The Gene Ireland programme was launched in autumn 2012 and was established by the ICBF (Irish Cattle Breeding Federation) in conjunction with industry partners.

The breeding programme was launched to improve breeding efficiency at farm level through the boosting of calving intervals and the number of calves produced per cow per year.

It aims to improve genetic information in Irish beef production by recording high-quality data and by testing more progeny from suitable beef bulls.

Over recent days, the ICBF has announced the availability of semen from 16 Gene Ireland bulls at a cost of €5/straw.

Again, the bulls have been selected on their potential to deliver on fertility and milk production. They have also been selected on their growth rate and conformation traits.

An array of bulls from different breeds are available, including: Saler; Limousin; Aubrac; Angus; Simmental; Charolais; Piedmontese; and Hereford.

All of the bulls available are 5-star on the Replacement Index. The highest ranking bull, Knottown Roy, has a value of €273, while the average Replacement Index value of the 16 bulls is almost €147.

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