Recently, while shooting the breeze with a fellow member of the farming community, I was asked about what farming enterprise I was involved in.

The question in itself is a normal question, one which I have asked on many occasions. I responded that I had dairy and suckler cows along with a purchased calf-to-beef facet of the farming enterprise.

The response from the person asking the question was to ask another question: “Why do you have sucklers?”

My response was to outline the fact that land is quite fragmented and marginal in my home of north Longford and that the out-farm is some 17 miles away.

The conversation continued for a few minutes and then concluded. The exchange which I have described stuck in my mind.

Why did I have to justify my owning of sucklers? Why do I have to make excuses for having sucklers in the dairy and suckler enterprise? Does the owning of sucklers somewhat diminish my credibility as a farmer?

Critical juncture

Suckler farming is at a critical juncture. I firmly believe that there is enormous potential in the national suckler herd.

There is an abundance of information out there for us to harness and implement at farm level.

I feel that it is extremely beneficial to both of my farming enterprises to have both on farm, as pieces of knowledge can be and are passed across from one to the other – milk yield, grass management, cow longevity, cow fertility, cull cow added value, etc.

Take milk yield for example; all my cows produce milk – some of this milk I collect and sell to be produced into dairy products, some of this milk I get the calves to collect and consume, thereby improving growth rate and subsequent carcase yield following sale.

Having milky suckler cows are important and many of these have dairy herd genetics from bygone times.

I am extremely proud of my suckler herd; generations of breeding are out there, standing in the field.

They are living, breathing results of the work and dedication of people that have gone before us. Being proud of our suckler herds won’t encourage farmers to grow this industry – money talks.

It’s time for suckler farmers to implement the practices on farm to improve profitability.

Consumers and the beef industry must support and respect suckler farmers by paying for quality product or as the lyric from the well-known song Big Yellow Taxi goes: “You never know what you got ‘til it’s gone”.

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