Bord Bia has recommended that quality-assured (QA) beef producers should only buy livestock from other certified QA farms.

The recommendation is one of a number of proposed reforms of Origin Green, Bord Bia’s flagship sustainability programme, which is being discussed by industry stakeholders.

The controversial proposal states that “bought-in livestock should be purchased from Bord Bia certified herds”.

However, such a move risks creating a two-tier market for livestock, with a premium potentially being paid for animals from farms that are in Bord Bia’s QA scheme.

Bord Bia figures show that 44,000 beef producers are certified as members of Bord Bia’s Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS).

This equates to just over half of the total number of beef producers in the country.

A large proportion of suckler farmers remain outside SBLAS as they contend that membership of the quality assurance scheme does not deliver a price premium for their weanlings.

In addition, SBLAS farmers will be required to adhere to the permitted slurry spreading times and other restrictions.

In a further change, SBLAS members will be required to measure and record all grass produced on the farm.

Moreover, farmers will need to provide a dedicated space for biodiversity and habitats.

The established requirements regarding the tagging and keeping of records for animal movements are included in the proposals. Among the other recommendations included in the discussion document is a proposal that farmers introduce management practices, which will “endeavour to mitigate sustained air or odour emissions from farming activities”. The proposals were presented by the Bord Bia technical advisory committee and are being discussed with farm organisations.