We started the year with the farmer event, ‘Farm Smarter, Not Harder’
Irish Hereford Prime kicked off 2025 with an informative and well-attended farmer event, held at the Horse & Jockey Hotel in Co. Tipperary on January 29th. Titled “Farm Smarter, Not Harder – Maximise Beef Gains on Your Farm,” the evening brought together a panel of experts from across the agri-food sector to offer insights, practical advice and policy updates aimed at supporting profitable, sustainable beef production.
Attendees filled the room in anticipation of hearing from the carefully selected panel, which included voices from farming, veterinary care, agri-genetics, environmental policy and the meat trade. Topics ranged from the value of smart breeding choices, to new veterinary medicine regulations and the importance of water quality and sustainability supports.
Stephen Connolly, Agri Sustainability Manager at ABP Ireland and Poland opened the evening by outlining the latest findings from the ABP Demo Farm. He highlighted the critical role of genetics in achieving sustainable and profitable beef production.
“There are huge gains to be had when you get the genetics right in the Hereford breed,” he said.
Using data from more than 500 animals finished between 2019 and 2024, Stephen demonstrated the impact of selecting high-ranking animals on the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) index.
“The top third of our Herefords showed close to €200 more in carcass value compared to the bottom third,” he noted. “There were also reduced costs due to fewer days to finish.”
“If you can select the top third on CBV, there’s massive value to be gained economically for the farmer, while also reducing the carbon footprint.”
Dwayne Stanley, a beef farmer from Thurles, gave a grassroots perspective on how these advancements translate on the ground. Farming with his father and uncle, Dwayne runs a suckler-to-store and a calf-to-beef system.
“We have a suckler-to-store system and a calf-to-beef system as well,” he explained.
“Even to see the numbers that turned up tonight, wanting to get the knowledge… it’s about picking the right calf going forward to hit carcass weights.”
The event, he said, was well worth attending:
“There’s just so much information you can come away with, and even if you take away one little thing, it’s been a good night.”
He also acknowledged the strength of the current beef market:
“The record prices we’re getting for beef — long may it last.”
“If you genetically pick the right bull to the right cow, it’s going to help out with the beef traits down the line. It’s all win-win for the way things are going.”
Eamon Ryan of Brittas Ormonde Veterinary, Thurles, addressed changes to veterinary medicine legislation, focusing on the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS), which came into effect in January 2025.
“The NVPS was introduced on January 13th of this year… governing the use, dispensing and prescribing of veterinary medicines in Ireland,” he said.
“It is an electronic prescription database run by the Department of Agriculture,” introduced in response to an EU regulation signed into law in 2024.
Importantly, he clarified:
“The new regulations… will be the same for Irish Hereford Prime farmers as for all others.”
Claire Mooney, ASSAP advisor with Teagasc, spoke about the importance of water quality and the supports now available to farmers under the new Farming for Water EIP programme.
“The reality is if we don’t have water quality improved by the end of 2027, farming is going to change.”
“It’s a grant of €50 million that is made available to farmers, and it covers 43 different measures.”
“If you have a measure that doesn’t fit into any of the 43 prescribed measures, there is a bespoke measure there for farmers as well.”
Claire also highlighted the interconnected nature of environmental action:
“If you think of water quality, it’ll have a core benefit with biodiversity, sustainability and everything like that. We can’t have one of them without the other. So it’s really important that we focus on all three.”
Joe Burke, Senior Manager for Meat & Livestock at Bord Bia, rounded off the evening with a market outlook.
“There’s a very positive atmosphere at the moment in the beef sector,” he opened.
“We’ve seen very significant price increases over the last three months… the demand, including for our premium products like Irish Hereford Prime, is strong and the outlook is really positive for that.”
He noted the year-on-year increase in beef prices:
“Overall, we have seen a very significant price increase year-on-year of about 20%,” adding that “the full extent of the higher raw material cost hasn’t yet maybe appeared to the end consumer.”
Networking, Prizes & Refreshments
After the panel, attendees enjoyed refreshments and the opportunity to network with fellow farmers and industry professionals. A prize draw capped off the evening, with giveaways including Irish Hereford Prime jackets, calf bundles and more.
The “Farm Smarter, Not Harder” event set a positive tone for the year ahead, offering Irish Hereford Prime farmers the tools and insights they need to maximise their gains in a rapidly evolving sector.
