Mark McGee

Introduction The Climate Action Plan (2024) has set ambitious targets to increase land farmed according to organic standards from the current area of 225,000 ha (5% of total farmed area) to 450,000 ha (10%) by 2030. The largest organic sector in Ireland is beef cattle production. There are an estimated 40,000 organically-farmed suckler cows in […]

Beef farming in Ireland is characterised by many different production systems and repeated animal movements are an inherent feature. The structure of the sector typically involves cattle moving through several holdings before slaughter, often transferring from dairy or suckler herds to specialist rearers and subsequently to finishing farms. While this system supports efficient use of […]

In Irish grass‑based, spring‑calving suckler systems, calves are typically weaned in autumn. This often coincides with a change in weather, reduced grass availability, additional handling, housing, vaccination and sometimes transport or sale. The resulting stress response in the calf, especially when several of these stressors occur concurrently, can temporarily suppress immune function, increasing susceptibility to […]

The current national average age at first-calving in suckler-bred heifers is 32 months with only 19% of heifers calving for the first time at 22-26 (~24) months of age. There is huge potential for improvement to this important reproductive key performance indicator. The top 10% of commercial suckler herds and research herds are consistently calving […]

A series of experiments were conducted at Teagasc, Grange to examine the effects of space allowance and floor type on cattle performance and welfare. The research primarily involved finishing steers, with additional studies using heifers, bulls, and weanlings. Across experiments, treatments included concrete slatted floors (CS), different rubber mat types overlaid on concrete slats (RM), […]

In 2025, the national average finishing age of prime beef cattle was 26.5 months. To improve environmental sustainability of Irish beef production systems a goal, embodied in the national Climate Action Plan, is to reduce mean age at finish by ~three months by 2030 relative to 2018. This can be achieved by improving animal nutrition, […]

In beef production systems, feed provision is the single largest direct cost incurred, accounting for approximately 75% of total costs of production; therefore, focusing on feed (cost) efficiency enhances farm profitability. Of the predominant feedstuffs available, grazed grass is lowest cost, purchased concentrate is the most expensive and grass silage and other conserved forages are […]

Summer scour syndrome (SSS) is a relatively novel digestive disorder affecting recently-weaned dairy-bred calves during their first grazing season in Ireland and in other countries with pasture-based systems, such as the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. This syndrome typically occurs within two to six weeks following turnout to pasture and often affects groups of calves. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

Organic farming has become increasingly important within Irish and European agricultural policy as governments seek to address challenges relating to climate change, biodiversity loss, input price volatility and the long-term sustainability of food production systems. Under the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, a target has been established for 25% of European agricultural land to be […]