Gearóid Slattery from ICBF joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the National Genotyping Programme.  

The National Genotyping Programme is a collaborative initiative enabling Ireland to take the first step in achieving a fully genotyped national herd. The scale of the programme is a world first and sees Ireland placed firmly at the forefront when it comes to national sustainability efforts.

The NGP has been developed based on a cost-sharing model between the programme partners, consisting of the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM), Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and participating farmers. 

The first year of the programme will be funded by the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR).  For the remaining four years, the genotyping costs of €18 per sample will be divided equally between the three Programme Partners; 1. DAFM, 2. DII & MII and 3. Participating farmers (i.e. €6 contribution per programme partners).

Genotyping the national herd will provide a huge opportunity for both the dairy and beef industry to increase its sustainability credentials on a global scale. Ireland will become the first country in the world to provide a DNA-verified traceability system. 

It will lead to an acceleration in the rates of gain of our national breeding indexes (e.g. EBI, Eurostar & DBI), which will enhance farm sustainability and reduce carbon emissions.

The closing date for applications for dairy herds is 14th July 2023. The closing date for beef herds is yet to be announced.

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