The battle of the breeds and prices paid for weanlings makes fascinating reading. It is without doubt the strongest dataset of weanling prices for 2023.

The MartBids platform allows us build quality data, with the power of scale, to allow farmers make informed decisions using quality information. From day to day, mart to mart, sale prices can vary depending on so many factors.

The power of the MartBids dataset is that it cuts through the noise and brings a very significant resource into play for informed decision making.

Elsewhere, the battle for stars is ongoing and over Christmas, the comment I kept getting back from suckler farmers was that the economic review and genetic adjustments coming together was probably taken in too hastily, without enough discussion or understanding.

There definitely needs to be more discussion as to how the indexes (old/new) correlate to the different suckling systems – ie, suckler to beef / to store ( for home finishing or export).

Differences

Farmers are asking, given the differences between systems, if the one bio-economic model based on the Grange suckler system is the correct one to use for a national breeding programme.

The ICBF bona fides around more calves per cow and lower carcase weight reflects the future as far as the reseachers, Department and meat factories are concerned, and hence the thinking is the breeding programme should reflect that. Farmers are not as concerned for the future and are more in the here and now.

Those struggling to make ends meet with small numbers, small land holdings with probably only one stock bull struggle to grasp the finer details of why that one bull can’t deliver what they need for a closed suckler herd, grazed extensively.