Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Beef Data and Genomics Programme: Discussion

2:00 pm

Mr. Brendan Gleeson:

There are people in this room who are probably better experts on genetics than I am, and some of them are around this table while others might be in the Public Gallery. The maternal index includes terminal traits. It is not a simple thing. We are trying to produce beef but we are trying to produce it off cows that are robust and efficient and calve easily, so that is the delicate balance that the four- and five-star rating tries to achieve. If one looks at the bull side, it is four or five stars on either of the terminal or maternal index so this is not driving things one way. It is just trying to produce a more efficient cow that improves profitability and efficiency. It is not a one-way street.

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