In another turn of events, both the Irish Parthenaise Cattle Society and the Irish Blonde d'Aquitaine Cattle Society have decided to withdraw the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) Euro-Star indices from their sale catalogues.

In a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal, the Irish Parthenaise Cattle Society said: "We have taken the decision at a council meeting this evening to not publish any of the revised ICBF Euro-Star indices for pedigree animals going forward.

"The Irish Parthenaise Cattle Society has no confidence in the methodology or algorithms used to calculate the revised breeding indices for Parthenaise as a breed.

"The traditional traits of the Parthenaise breed, such as milk, easy calving and calf vigour, are being interfered with and the one-size-fits-all approach that [the] ICBF control[s] is interfering with our breeding programme.

"The society also has major concerns about how breed information is being filtered to suit certain traits outside of the breed’s control."

Both breeds have now joined the Irish Simmental Cattle Society, Irish Salers Cattle Society and the Irish Charolais Cattle Society, bringing a total of five cattle breed societies to make this decision.