The Beef Edge

For this second of a two-part series focused on the Commercial Beef Value, Ciaran Conway who runs a weanling to finishing heifer system with his son Diarmuid outside Mullingar Co. Westmeath, discusses his system and use of CBV on their farm which was awarded 2025 Suckler Finisher Award for Ashbourne.

High-CBV continental weanlings, disciplined management and a grass-driven system underpin the reliability and strong carcass results achieved.

Ciaran discusses how grass is central to his system and the key grassland management practices that drive performance. 

Buying over 300 cattle a ye...

Over the last few years, farmers have become more aware of the Commercial Beef Value – or CBV – and so, this week is the first of a two-part series on the importance of CBV.

The ICBF’s Research Project Co-ordinator, David Kelly, who is based in the Tully Research Centre, joins the show to discuss the latest information and findings at Tully with regards to CBV. 

David highlights the fact that farmers finishing cattle are seeing measurable margin differences between high and low CBV cattle. He discusses continental, dairy beef and dairy cross dai...

Over the last decade the Irish agriculture and food sector has grown, developed and modernised. Teagasc recently launched the Teagasc Enterprise Road Maps and on this week’s Beef Edge podcast, Teagasc Head of Drystock, Pearse Kelly, and Beef Enterprise Leader, Dr. Paul Crosson at Teagasc Grange, discuss current performance, market outlook, sustainability priorities and future targets for Irish beef.

Beef farming is one of the larger sectors in Irish agriculture and accounts for one third of overall agricultural output due partially to a strong period of increased prices. Approximately 80% of Irish farms carry some bee...

Mark Plunkett from the Teagasc Signpost Programme joins Catherine Egan on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast to discuss soil fertility and planning for the year ahead. 

Mark outlines how only 13% of the soil on drystock farms is optimum for pH, P and K. While there has been a big rise in recent years with the amount of lime being applied, in 2026 another 500,000 tonnes are still needed. 

Mark explains the benefits of lime on climate and production and says that farmers should use soil test results to prioritise where...

Grass10 Advisor, Nikki Kennedy, and Grass10 Manager, John Maher, are on this week’s Beef Edge with an update on the current situation around the country and planning for the spring ahead. 

John gives a review of 2025 which was a great year for most farmers in relation to grass.

January was significantly wetter than average, especially in eastern and southern counties, contributing to saturated ground and flooding risk. 

Nikki outlines the importance of walking the farm and picking the right slurry for the right ground and highlights the imp...

For this final part of the ‘Dairy Calf to Beef’ series on the Beef Edge, Liam Gannon from Volac discusses feeding the calf up to weaning and the key dos and don’ts around feeding milk replacer. 

Liam explains the ingredients one should focus on when selecting a milk replacer and the key benefits of feeding a high-quality milk replacer in terms of nutrition and calf performance cannot be underestimated. If you are happy with the replacer your feeding that is key.

Liam highlights a recommended feeding program for spring-born calves in terms...

For the third part of our ‘Dairy Calf to Beef’ series, vet Tommy Heffernan discusses the key areas to ensure a healthy calf and developing a sustainable profitable dairy beef system. 

Tommy says that pneumonia, scour and coccidiosis are some of the main issues with calves. The damp, cold spring weather impacts calf health and increases risks. 

Tommy outlines ways to rescue pneumonia and scour outbreaks in calves, plus he highlights the best procedure for calf arrival on farm that he has seen working well in terms of electrolytes, housing etc.

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For the second part of the 'Dairy Calf to Beef’ series’ on the Beef Edge, Teagasc Beef Specialist, David Argue, discusses what to be aware of when sourcing calves and the essential things to get right during the rearing process.

David explains that when sourcing dairy-beef calves this spring, the health of the calf, breed and genetic make-up are very important.

Avoid any signs of ill health, and minimise stress around purchase and transport.  Good ventilation, bedding, and stocking density are important to reduce disease.

David says that a g...

In the first part of a ‘Dairy Calf to Beef’ series on the Teagasc Beef Edge podcast, DairyBeef 500 Manager, Alan Dillon, discusses the key performance indicators of a sustainable, profitable dairy beef system.

Alan outlines the importance of increased grass utilisation, improved silage quality, a good herd health plan and daily liveweight gains and the impact breed and commercial beef value can have in a dairy beef system. 

Age at slaughter is fam and system specific and Alan discusses the impact both have on margin. Completion and analysis of the DairyBeef 500 profit...

Teagasc Beef Specialist, Niall Kerins, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with some of the key management tips for the weeks ahead. 

Niall discusses the importance of using a pre-calving mineral on farm and he outlines some key things to have on hand in advance of calving cows and purchasing calves. 

Niall also explains the importance of updating your nutrient management plan on the farm in 2026 and says now is an ideal time to take soil samples in advance of slurry being applied.

For more episode...

Pearse Kelly, Teagasc Head of Drystock, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to reflect on beef supply, market and beef prices in 2025 and how to plan for 2026. 

Bord Bia had forecast the national kill would be back 70,000-90,000 in 2025 but that has been closer to 200,000. This is likely to remain similar in 2026. 

Pearse’s long term outlook is positive but he says that farmers should complete a profit monitor in 2025 to assess performance and costs prior to 2026. 

Rupert Claxton also spoke at this year’s Beef Confere...

For this special Christmas episode of The Beef Edge, we’re re-visiting our 300th episode of the podcast that was recorded earlier this year with Matt Dempsey, whose career spans multiple decades and various roles in agricultural journalism and beyond.

Matt has been instrumental in driving innovations in Irish agriculture through his work as a journalist, farmer and chairman of various industry groups and he gives his outlook for the Irish beef industry. 

Matt discusses intervention, suckler incentive scheme, beef tribunal, BSE and Foot and Mouth to name but a few.

...

For a special joint podcast on bluetongue, with Stuart Childs from the Dairy Edge and Ciaran Lynch from Ovicast, this week’s Beef Edge is joined by vet John Donlon to find out more about bluetongue.

Primarily transmitted via biting midges, the cases on farms in Northern Ireland significantly reinforces the need for increased awareness in the Republic of Ireland. 

Early action, identification and isolation will be key in reducing the potential for further virus spread.

Temperature is a major factor in the transmission of bluetongue. The typica...

Dr. Paul Crosson, Beef Enterprise Leader, Teagasc Grange, is on this week’s Beef Edge to discuss the latest research being carried out in 2025 and the plans for 2026.

Pauls highlights the current research underway on the Derrypatrick and Maternal Herd and he outlines the findings from the dairy beef work being carried out as well as the latest research relating to additives.

You can also watch the recent Teagasc Beef Webinar with Paul at: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntJD2zfLVmM

For more ep...

Rebecca Fitzpatrick, Superintending Veterinary Inspector with the Department of Agriculture, outlines the changes affecting beef and sheep farms this year on this week’s joint Beef Edge and OviCast podcast.

From 1st December, new rules on veterinary medicines came into effect as part of Ireland’s national strategy to tackle antimicrobial and anti-parasitic resistance. 

These changes mean that a range of commonly used products will now require a veterinary prescription, and all prescriptions will be issued and recorded through the National Veterinary Prescription System, or NVPS.

To help exp...

Ronan Lynch, agronomist with Deeside Agri, and suckler and beef finisher, Brian Kirk from Co. Louth, are on this week’s Beef Edge to discuss the opportunity of using native grains in rations. 

Ronan explains that of the 7 million tonnes of grains used in the country, only 2 million are produced in Ireland. 

He highlights the benefits of oats and reducing the carbon footprint by incorporating homegrown grain ore in rations such as oats. 

We often hear that barley is the premium grain, and oats are just a second-b...

Rupert Claxton, Meat & Livestock Director, GIRA, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast discussing the global outlook for the beef industry. 

Rupert highlights that the supply of beef is tight, while demand from the consumer is remarkably robust. The result of good global demand and tight supply are the high prices seen today.

Rupert explains how several UK retailers have included beef from a variety of non-European sources on their retail shelves during 2025, however, outlook for 2026 is a continuation of the current trend, both in Europe and globally. 

He...

With the Teagasc National Beef Conference taking place on Tuesday, the 18th of November at the Raheen Woods Hotel in Athenry, County Galway, Future Beef farmer, John Barry from Nenagh, County Tipperary, is on this week’s Beef edge podcast to explain his suckling-to-weanling system and how he balances shape and quality to meet both home and export market demands.

John Barry runs a 90-cow suckler herd full-time and since taking over the farm in his own name a decade ago, John has steadily developed the enterprise with significant investments, including new sheds, upgraded laneways and...

Pearse Kelly, Teagasc’s Head of Drystock, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to give an insight into what’s in store at the Teagasc National Beef Conference which is taking place on 18th November in the Raheen Woods Hotel, Athenry, Co.Galway, starting at 5pm.

This year’s theme is ‘Beef Farming 2025: Value, Profit and Renewal’, with a strong focus on producing high-value weanlings, managing farm profitability, and supporting generational renewal. 

There are two action-packed sessions featuring expert speakers, farmer insights, and panel discussions:

Session I: High...

For the final part of the special series, ‘Getting Winter Ready’,  Natascha Meunier from Animal Health Ireland is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss ‘Health at Housing’.  

As always, there  are liver and rumen fluke, lice and mites, and going in to housing, gutworms or lungworm (hoose) might still be problematic. 

Natascha says to be particularly careful about lungworm as it has been ideal conditions over the last few weeks. 

She outlines the products for treating worms and fluke and says the product is very important, pa...

Grass10 Manager, John Maher, joins Catherine Egan on the latest Beef Edge with grassland management tips for the month ahead.

John discusses current grazing conditions and explains the different scenarios across the country.

John discusses an action plan for closing up paddocks and he highlights the importance of being flexible and to ensure swards that are closed are not re-grazed again before winter.

You can subscribe to the Grass10 newsletter here:

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/

For...

James Strain, nutritionist with Inishowen Co-op, is on this week’s Beef Edge Podcast to discuss ‘Winter Nutrition’. 

James highlights the importance of a good herd health plan which is key before looking at nutrition to maximise winter performance. 

When assessing silage quality James explains Dry Matter Digestibility, Dry Matter, Crude Protein and pH, while he also discusses feeding rates to gain 0.5-0.6 kg/head/day on a weanling over the winter.

When it comes to rations, James highlights at to look out for on the label, with ideall...

In the first part of a three-part series, ‘Getting Winter Ready’, on the Beef Edge, Teagasc Beef Specialist, Niall Kerins, discusses ‘Winter Housing’.

Housing is a key part of maximising winter performance, farmers can have the nutrition of the animal correct and the animal treated to have them healthy and yet still not be achieving 0.6kg/head/day over the winter period on weanlings.

Space allowance is important to determine, how many weanlings/stores/cows should be housed per bay.

Feed barrier spacing is often overlooked. Good ventilation...

Teagasc Beef Specialist, David Argue, is on this week’s Beef Edge Podcast to discuss beef markets and budgets. 

David outlines current beef markets and highlights the national weekly kill has risen in the last week of September to 30,000/head. 

David emphasises the importance of completing a budget tailored to each farm based on input costs and fixed costs of the farm

Each budget calculates a breakeven selling price (cents/kg carcase weight) for that particular system and takes account of the purchase price and all the associa...

IFAC Accountant, Trevor Boland, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss financial planning and managing cash flow for the rest of the year.

Suckler and beef farmers are currently receiving higher prices than ever before for their livestock sales, both through the live trade and through beef prices received from processors. 

Trevor says that farmers need to be aware of what their farm profits are for 2024: what tax is payable on these profits and what the likely farm income is going to be for 2025?

Many f...

Teagasc Farm Management specialist, James McDonnell, and Succession Ireland mediator, Clare O’Keeffe, join Catherine Egan and Ciaran Lynch on this week’s joint episode of the Beef Edge podcast and Ovicast to discuss all aspects of generation renewal, succession and mediation.

James highlights the importance of Generation renewal while Clare outlines the importance of a mediator to aid the process. It is essential for every farmer to have a farm succession plan in place. There are complex legal and taxation rules that, if planned for, can be managed easily. If not planned for, however, there...

Grass10 Manager, John Maher, joins Catherine Egan for this month's Grass10 update and he discusses the situation across the country, outlining the actions to take to develop an autumn rotation plan on farms

Red/Yellow rust has started to appear on grass plants across the country and John discusses management at this stage of the year.

You can subscribe to the Grass10 newsletter here:

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at...

Teagasc Researcher, Peter Doyle, is on this week’s Beef Edge Podcast with an update on breeding performance and grassland management for the Derrypatrick herd.

Peter discusses this year’s calves’ performance and weaning management.

Peter also outlines how he is managing red clover on the farm currently and how it has performed to date.

Plus he explains the plan for finishing cattle and the current research taking place on the farm.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:

On this special 300th episode of the Beef Edge podcast, Matt Dempsey, whose career spans multiple decades and various roles in agricultural journalism and beyond joins host Catherine Egan.  

Matt has been instrumental in driving innovations in Irish agriculture through his work as a journalist, farmer and chairman of various industry groups and he gives his outlook for the Irish beef industry. 

Matt discusses intervention, suckler incentive scheme, beef tribunal, BSE and Foot and Mouth to name but a few.

Matte highlights the work done by the Irish...

Margaret Brennan, Assistant Principal Officer over Beef Schemes with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the new Beef Welfare Scheme announced recently and to give an update on all things scheme related.

The objective of the Beef Welfare Scheme 2025 (BWS) is to further increase the economic efficiency of and enhance animal health and husbandry on suckler farms. 

You can apply if you: 

- are aged eighteen years or over on the date of submission of the application for pa...

DairyBeef 500 farmer, Peter O'Hanrahan from Co. Kilkenny, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss his dairy beef system, grassland management on the farm and the upcoming farm walk taking place. 

Peter explains how calves are sourced from five farms within 15 minutes of his own farm. They are reared on automatic feeding system which he discusses in detail . They are grazed in two groups with lighter calves forming a third group and rotated every 3 days in a paddock system.

Currently, calves are performing well gaining 0.84kg/head/day. Stores will...

Future Beef farmer, Michael Biggins from Co Mayo, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss his suckler beef system, weanling management on the farm and the upcoming farm walk taking place on his farm. 

Michael farms with his son Niall in Ballynalty, Headford, Co.Mayo and he gives an overview of his spring calving suckling to weanling system. 

All suitable heifers are kept on the farm for breeding and those not kept are sold. This year AI was used on over half the cows as well as a synchr...

Grass10 Manager, John Maher, joins Catherine Egan on the latest Beef Edge with grassland management tips for the month ahead.

John discusses current grazing conditions and explains the different scenarios across the country.

He also details an action plan for dealing with drought, deficit and surpluses and he highlights the plan for the weeks ahead to ensure quality swards are available for building covers going into the autumn.

You can subscribe to the Grass10 newsletter here:

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/

The winner of the Drystock Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year, Peter Byrne from Co Kildare, and Dairy Beef 500 advisor, Fergal Maguire, are on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss Peter’s dairy beef system, grassland management on the farm and the upcoming walk taking place there. 

Peter’s current system is 19- 22 month heifers and 22-26 months steer beef. Up until 2008, he was running a suckling to beef and sheep enterprise on the farm, alongside a tillage enterprise. Over time, the farm has transitioned away from suckler and sheep production to a calf-to...

Teagasc Climate and Sustainability advisor, Enda Geoghegan from Ballina Co. Mayo, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss actions implemented on farms that increase efficiency while reducing emissions and the recent findings from the Signpost Programme Report .

Farmers participating in the Dairy Beef 500 and Future Beef Programmes are also part of the Signpost Programme and Enda explains how he liaises with the local advisors, programme advisors and ASSAP programme advisors in his role. 

Enda outlines the importance of having a nutrient management plan, applying lime and correcting P and K...

Teagasc Head of Schemes Support Unit, Aidan Murray, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with an update on the upcoming scheme deadlines and the newly launched Long Established Young Farmer scheme.  

The maximum payment for this is €5,000 per eligible farmer and Aidan discusses the criteria these farmers will have to meet to be able to apply.

Further details are here:

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/services/scheme-to-support-long-established-young-farmers/

Aidan also discusses the deadlines in relation to the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme and National Dairy Be...

Mark Waters from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the National Genotyping Programme which has recently opened for applications.

The National Genotyping Programme is a collaborative initiative enabling Ireland to take the first step in achieving a fully genotyped national herd, based on a cost-sharing model between the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, the beef and dairy industry and participating farmers. 

Genotyping the national herd will provide a huge opportunity for both the dairy and beef industry to accelerate the rates...

Grass10 Manager, John Maher, joins Catherine Egan on the latest Beef Edge with grassland management tips for the month ahead.

John discusses current grazing conditions and explains the different scenarios across the country.

He also details an action plan for dealing with drought, deficit and surpluses and he highlights the plan for the weeks ahead to ensure quality swards are available for building covers going into the autumn.

You can subscribe to the Grass10 newsletter here:

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/

Future Beef Farmer, Kay O’Sullivan from county Cork, is on this weeks’ Beef Edge podcast to discuss her organic beef finishing system, current management on the farm and the upcoming national beef walk taking place on her farm. 

Kay explains her conversion to organics, current grass/clover and multi-species management as well as her herd health plan.

 
The Future Beef farm walk will take place on Friday, 25th July at 6pm on Kay O’Sullivan’s farm at Mourneabbey, Mallow, Co. Cork, P51 Y62D.

Topics to be discussed...

Teagasc Scheme Support Unit Specialist, Seamus Nolan, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with an update on the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme - known as TAMS - to discuss items that are eligible for grants to make various improvements to farms. 

TAMS consists of ten different schemes and seven of these, including: the Animal Welfare, Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS); the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS); the Organic Farming Capital Investment Scheme (OFCIS); the Dairy Equipment Investment Scheme (DES); the Low-Emissions Slurry Spreader Scheme (LESS); the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS); and the Pig...