30 cent per kg off-season bonus announced for Angus
Catherine Smyth who heads up the Certified Irish Angus Elite Breed Improvement Programme.
Breeders of Certified Irish Angus will be eligible for the highest off-season bonus on the market - an extra 30 cent per kg - this spring.
Certified Irish Angus and its partners ABP and Kepak announced a 2023 off-season bonus, which will be made available to its members this Spring. Ireland’s largest producer group is offering a bonus of 30 cents per kilo for animals slaughtered between April 3, 2023, and June 9, 2023.
This off-season bonus is offered in partnership with Kepak and ABP and is just one of a series of initiatives offered by the producer group. It will be paid in addition to the Farm Quality Assurance bonus, which ranges from 12-20 cents per kilo per animal.
Commenting on the announcement, Charles Smith, Certified Irish Angus general manager, said: “We are delighted to announce details of this substantial bonus which is on offer to our members, allowing them to make plans for spring 2023 with confidence.
"The bonus will provide an opportunity for members, helping them to offset the additional feed and fertiliser costs that are currently being experienced, and enable them to plan their Spring beef production with additional certainty.”
The Certified Irish Angus Elite Breed Improvement Programme aims to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of its 12,000 active farmer members. This programme has integrated a top-quality bull (Drumcrow Tribesman) in partnership with Dovea Genetics through AI.
The group are also calling on pedigree breeders to avail of sexed semen and to produce top-quality stock bulls using Drumcrow Tribesman genetics. Pedigree breeders that genotype male progeny, which is part of the programme, will be entitled to an €80 subsidy. Along with this, there are plans to introduce additional bulls to the programme in 2023.
To avail of this premium bonus, animals must be booked with Certified Irish Angus before January 23, 2023. Farmers can book in their Angus cattle by downloading the form on the Certified Irish Angus website, emailing info@certifiedirishangus.ie or logging onto its member’s online portal. This will allow farmers to book their Angus cattle for slaughter online with its processor partners, ABP & Kepak.
Members who have ICBF Herd Plus will also be provided with details of the terminal index of each animal as they make their online booking allowing them to assess the benefits of using superior Angus genetics.
About Certified Irish Angus Certified Irish Angus was established in 1995 with the primary goal of producing better Irish Angus animals.
Today, the group combines traditional farming methods with innovative genetic programmes to produce beef that is of superior quality in a more sustainable way. It uses data from Bord Bia Quality Assurance audits to underpin its measures and support it in delivering on its vision. This will further help to create a market preference for Certified Irish Angus among consumers with stated sustainability targets.
