Mart boards to display Commercial Beef Values for all genotyped animals
CBV is a genetic value that predicts the profitability of finishing animals and incorporates traits of economic importance to ‘drystock’ herds such as carcass weight, age at finish and feed intake. File picture
The Commercial Beef Value (CBV) will be shown for all genotyped animals with a verified sire, regardless of whether the seller is a HerdPlus member.
The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) has announced that from March 6, CBV values will be shown on mart boards to take an important step to improve the visibility of genetic information.
CBV is a genetic value that predicts the profitability of finishing animals.
It incorporates traits of economic importance to ‘drystock’ herds such as carcass weight, age at finish and feed intake. It helps buyers select animals that deliver better margins and performance.
Previously, the display of CBV values was restricted to animals being sold from HerdPlus herds.
This new enhancement ensures that valuable genetic data generated through the National Genotyping Programme (NGP) and SCEP can be utilised by as many herds as possible. This will help deliver greater value from the industry’s investment in genotyping.
The number of young stock (under one year) genotyped in 2024 was 900,000, and in 2025 it was a million.
It is expected that over one million young animals will be genotyped in 2026, highlighting that the availability of CBV data will continue to increase as the number of genotyped animals grows.
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Commenting on the development, ICBF chairman, Michael Doran, said: "This change further unlocks the potential of the data generated through genotyping. By removing barriers, we ensure farmers and buyers can make better decisions that drive profitability and sustainability across the beef and Dairy sectors."
Adding to this, the manager of Corrin Mart, Fermoy, Sean Leahy, commented: “Just last week, 65% of the calves going through Corrin Mart had their CBV displayed.
"It’s definitely positive. Anything that encourages better breeding, better genetics and ultimately better profitability overall has to be a positive.”
CBV is a relatively new tool offered by ICBF, but it has proved to be highly effective in identifying the most profitable animals for finishing.
