Funding of €1.8m for range of beef, dairy and sheep breed projects

FUNDING of €1.8 million to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation and Sheep Ireland for a range of beef, dairy and sheep breed improvement projects was announced yesterday.

Minister Brendan Smith said the investment is designed to help improve the quality and profitability of livestock production and to improve the competitiveness of Irish agriculture. All farmers and their industry partners will benefit.

On the cattle side the funding is focusing on supporting the continued development of the beef and dairy breeding infrastructures, including extension to cater for the use of the rapidly developing genomic technologies, and the GeneIreland progeny test programme.