Driving Sustainable Performance
An overview of beef cattle farming in Ireland
From the perspective of farm numbers and land area farmed, beef cattle farming is the most important agricultural enterprise in Ireland. Moreover, the sector contributed €4.2 billion, some 30%, to total agricultural output in 2025, an increase of €1.1 billion when compared to 2024. The beef sector is export orientated with over 90% of production […]
1 July 2026
Suckler beef systems for profitable production
Suckler beef production in Ireland encompasses a wide range of production systems operating at varying stocking rates, although most farms are stocked at less than 130 kg organic nitrogen (N)/hectare (ha). This paper examines the key performance targets and indicators that determine efficiency, financial and environmental (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) performance of suckler beef systems, […]
1 July 2026
Profitable pasture-based dairy-beef systems
Dairy-beef is an integral part of Irish beef production, with its contribution to beef output increasing in recent years in line with the 40% increase in dairy cow numbers since 2015, and dairy-beef now accounts for 62% of beef cattle processed in 2025. The current stabilisation of the dairy herd has led to a reduction […]
1 July 2026
Producing beef from grass-forage-based systems
Irish suckler beef production is largely pasture-based where collectively, grazed and conserved pasture account for up to 92% of the lifetime feed consumption. As grazed pasture is invariably the cheapest cattle feed resource in Ireland, maximising the duration of the grazing season and animal growth performance at pasture is critical for sustainable production. This in […]
1 July 2026
Growing-finishing beef cattle: national performance data and growth targets
In 2025, 1.79 million calves were born in Ireland, and approximately 1.16 million animals were finished as prime (steers, heifers and young bulls) cattle. Nationally, suckler-bred animals now account for 38% of the prime beef cattle produced, reflective of a decline in suckler cow numbers (currently ~0.75 million), and an increase followed by a stabilisation […]
1 July 2026