This Focus supplement includes lists of the Top 75 active dairy sires available at the moment, as created by ICBF, and the top 48 active beef sires.

Dairy farmers use more AI compared with beef farmers for winter breeding in December. Aidan Brennan reports from the recent Winter Milk Conference, where fertility emerged as a key issue in all milking systems.

There is no doubt that the thinking has turned: where once dairy farmers were using high-volume-only sires, now they are selecting sires with improved fertility and higher milk solids.

Yes, the processors that purchase autumn milk are leading the way, to some extent, and are sending the signal to producers that milk solids and not only volume is important for the future. Volume is only key for a few short months for liquid consumption; whereas, milk solids create more value for processors at all other times of the year.

The EBI of the top sire on the active bull list continues to rise. The top sire is now €352 EBI, while the number 75 sire is €268. Within the range there is a large selection of mainly Holstein sires but some sires have more Friesian and there are also two Jersey sires on the list.

NCBC has the majority of sires on the list, with 40 sires available through Progressive Genetics and Munster AI but Eurogene/LIC has 21 sires and Dovea 14 sires, so there is good choice for farmers.

On the beef side of the house, the female replacement requirements for the Beef Data and Genomics Programme have brought an improved emphasis on breeding decisions.

Yet the targets for some will be hard to meet, but with careful planning most can comply with the rules. Darren Carty goes into the rules in our special BDGP focus.

For farmers, the BDGP rules are very much a work in progress, as they tool up and understand the scheme rules, but the long-term objective of the scheme is definitely in the best interests of the beef industry. We put our readers' most common questions to Andrew Cromie of ICBF.

For successful breeding this season, Nathan Tuffy shares top tips to make indoor AI run smoothly.