For many years, Ireland has looked to the far side of the world for inspiration from its pasture-based dairy counterparts in New Zealand, but have the roles now reversed?
As much as we complain about the increasing number of regulations in Irish agriculture, it can be said that they have actually helped lay the foundations for rapid progress in the dairy sector.
Advances in technology and information have also increased efficiency on farms, between pasture use, nitrogen management, husbandry, and much more.
We now find ourselves in a position where we are less reliant on drawing information from other countries such as New Zealand, whose systems and innovations have been a major focal point in previous years.
But the question remains: Have things come full circle, with New Zealand now finding itself drawing inspiration from Irish dairy products?
Ireland vs New Zealand
One issue that has always been at the forefront of the New Zealand dairy industry is the condition of the ‘baby calf’, although the situation is no longer as bad as it once was.
For those who may not be familiar with the Kiwi dairy system, ‘calves’ are male calves emerging from dairy dams, which are typically considered a ‘by-product’ and essentially useless.
Dairy farms often make national and international headlines due to animal welfare standards not being met when it comes to young calves on a number of farms.
There is no denying that Ireland was in a relatively similar position just a few years ago when it came to considering calves as by-products, particularly when it came to Jersey Cross and Friesian bull calves.
Some farmers were paying to get rid of these calves because they were not fit for beef or breeding purposes.
Fast forward a few years and look at where strategic breeding and technological advances have taken us in terms of the entire dairy beef situation.
What might previously have been considered byproducts have been a savior for dairy farmers this year, as milk prices fell below the cost of production but calf sales rose dramatically.
I’ve been lucky to get a good calf for under €200 this year, as Friesian bulls have fetched more than that.
The table below provides a breakdown of the average price of various bull calves aged between 21 and 42 days that were traded between July 6 and July 12, which is outside of peak calf trading times.
| Calf breed | age | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Friesian bull | 21-42 days | 289 euros |
| Angus Paul | 21-42 days | 440 euros |
| Limousine bull | 21-42 days | 518 euros |
| Belgian Blue Bull | 21-42 days | 555 euros |
There is no denying that it has been an exceptional year for the calf trade, but unless we get to a point where there is a significant oversupply of beef calves, which could always be a possibility, it is difficult to see calf prices dropping back to where they once were.
The whole state of beef and dairy in Ireland is something DairyNZ boss Tracy Brown noticed when she was on a study trip here recently.
At this stage, it is difficult to imagine New Zealand not adopting a more dairy beef-focused system like Ireland.
However, the system will need to be modified to suit their markets.
It must be taken into account that New Zealand sees approximately 1.8 to 2 million calves calved each year, compared to a total of approximately 1.6 million calves from dairy dams in Ireland, which includes alternatives and dairy beef.
Meanwhile, there are approximately 23,400 beef and sheep farmers in New Zealand, according to Tupu New Zealand.
In contrast, Ireland has more than 70,000 specialist beef farms, according to the Central Statistics Office’s 2023 Farm Structure Survey.
This means there will be approximately 77 dairy beef calves per beef farmer in New Zealand, compared to the approximate number of 14 dairy beef calves per beef farmer in Ireland.
