Future Beef Programme participant, Trevor Boland outlines the information needed to complete a Profit Monitor and discusses the benefit it has to his farm business.
Sligo suckler farmer, Trevor Boland runs a 45-cow, autumn-calving herd on 45ha in Bunnafedia, Co. Sligo. Bulls are sold as yearlings, while heifers are kept, sold for breeding, or finished on the farm. Trevor also buys in heifers each year for grass finishing, helping to maximise output from his system.
With Irish beef prices hitting record highs in 2025, Trevor is eager to complete his 2025 profit monitor – a key tool for any suckler beef farmer aiming to improve efficiency and profitability. The profit monitor allows him to:
- Benchmark his farm against similar suckler systems;
- Get a clear picture of production costs;
- Analyse beef output per livestock unit and per hectare; and,
- Identify areas for improving performance in the year ahead.
Trevor simply gathers his annual sales, purchases and input costs and enters them into the Teagasc system. The detailed reports show exactly where the farm is performing well and where changes could deliver better margins. By comparing results with other farms in the Future Beef Programme and nationwide, he can confidently target improvements.
In the below video, Future Beef Programme participant, Trevor Boland outlines the information needed to complete a profit monitor and discusses the benefit it has to his farm business:
The above first appeared in the January Teagasc Future Beef Programme newsletter. Sign up to the Future Beef Programme newsletter here.