Updated Angus and Hereford bonus schemes – plan now to maximise payments

Changes to the Certified Irish Angus and Irish Hereford Prime bonus schemes mean farmers can now potentially earn up to 20c/kg bonuses on qualifying cattle. DairyBeef 500 Advisor, Gordon Peppard expands on how the full payment depends on meeting requirements across three key areas: breed, genetics and sustainability.

The schemes were amended in early September 2026. While the existing 10c/kg breed bonus remains, farmers can potentially earn a further 5c/kg for genetics and 5c/kg for farm sustainability.

Some requirements will become more demanding from 2028, with further verification requirements from 2029. Therefore, breeding, purchasing and farm management decisions made today can influence eligibility for the bonus in the years ahead.

Scheme overview

• 10c/kg – standard breed bonus.
• 5c/kg – genetics pillar.
• 5c/kg – sustainability pillar.
• Genetics is assessed at individual animal level.
• Sustainability is assessed at a whole-farm level through the AgNav platform.
• Genetics requirements tighten up from 2028, with genotype verification required from 2029.
• Certified Irish Angus operates in partnership with ABP Ireland and Kepak.
• Irish Hereford Prime operates in partnership with ABP Ireland.

The scheme structure

The revised bonus scheme structure is built around three key pillars.

1). Breed bonus – 10c/kg

The existing 10c/kg breed bonus remains the foundation of the scheme. Cattle must continue to meet the relevant programme requirements relating to Quality Assurance, farm residency and carcass specification.

Key requirements include:

• Maximum of four farm residencies at time of slaughter.
• Minimum of 70 days’ residency on a Quality Assured farm.
• At least 60 days on the farm presenting the animal for slaughter.
• Target carcass weight of 240–380kg.
• Conformation from O= to U+.
• Fat score from 2+ to 4+.

Farmers should continue to monitor these criteria as cattle approach slaughter to ensure they meet the requirements to gain the standard 10c/kg bonus.

2).  Genetics bonus – 5c/kg

The second pillar places greater emphasis on the genetic merit of the animal. From September 2026, a further 5c/kg is available on qualifying cattle where the sire is recorded, or the animal has been genotyped. Farmers can check individual animal eligibility through their ICBF profile.

The importance of genetic merit will increase over the coming years. From 2028, Commercial Beef Value (CBV) requirements will apply, with genotype verification required from 2029.

Farmers should check the specific CBV requirements applying to the breed programme they are supplying, as there may slight difference between schemes.

What does this mean on farm?

The genetics bonus cannot be left until cattle are approaching slaughter. Breeding and purchasing decisions that determine an animal’s genetic merit are made years before it reaches the factory.

Farmers breeding or purchasing Angus and Hereford cattle should:

• Select bulls with suitable genetic merit to meet the requirements.
• Ensure sire information is accurately recorded.
• Establish the sire and genetic background when purchasing calves where possible.
• Consider genotyping where it provides greater certainty around parentage and genetic information.

Cattle finished in 2028 and 2029 will largely reflect breeding and purchasing decisions made in years previous.

3). Sustainability bonus – 5c/kg

Unlike the genetics pillar, the sustainability pillar applies to the whole farm rather than the individual animal. Farmers can potentially earn a further 5c/kg by registering on AgNav, completing a farm sustainability plan and selecting three sustainability actions.

Potential actions include:

• Low-emission slurry spreading.
• Incorporating clover.
• Reducing chemical nitrogen use.
• Reducing age at slaughter, among others.

The selected actions must be achievable on the farm and capable of being implemented and demonstrated under the scheme requirements.

While the full requirements apply from 2029, farmers should start planning now. Select actions that are practical to do on your farm and can deliver benefits to both farm efficiency and sustainability.

Plan now for 2028 and 2029

The key message is don’t wait until cattle are going to the factory to think about the bonus.

Farmers should check breed eligibility and records, ensure sire information is correct and consider the genetic merit of bulls and calves being purchased. At farm level, registering on AgNav and selecting three realistic sustainability actions will help prepare for the requirements ahead. The 10c/kg breed bonus provides the foundation, with a potential additional 10c/kg through genetics and sustainability.

What could it mean for me?

On a 300kg carcass, a 20c/kg bonus is worth €60/head. If you slaughter 50 animals per year, this is an additional €3,000.

However, eligibility for the full payment is increasingly determined by decisions made well before slaughter. The cattle being finished in 2028 and 2029 are being bred and purchased now, while sustainability actions also need to be planned and implemented in advance.

For more from the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Programme, visit here.