Farm organisations are understood to be concerned over a potential drop in carcass weights, and therefore a drop in prices received for cattle, if the age at slaughter decreases.

It is understood that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is working on a document called the 'Improved Liveweight Performance Action Plan'.

One of the aims of this plan is to reduce slaughter age as a way to reduce emissions in the livestock sector.

The plan comes as efforts to reduce slaughter age, having been touted as an emissions reduction measure a number of years ago, stall, with no decrease in slaughter age noted in 2025, according to a publication from Teagasc this week.

That same Teagasc report said that the current age at slaughter in the beef sector stands at 26.5 months.

Sources indicate that the 'Improved Liveweight Performance Action Plan' will be officially announced by the department in the coming weeks.

It is understood that farm organisations have been asked for feedback on the plan.

ICMSA

In its submission on the proposed action plan, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) said that there is an opportunity to improve liveweight performance, and reduce the finishing age of prime beef cattle by a further three to three-and-a-half months.

However, the farm organisation warned that a younger animal will be lighter with a less developed bone structure and frame.

This, the ICMSA warned, would lead to a lower grading animal and by extension, a lower price.

The farm organisation's submission called for funding to be provided to supplement prices for carcasses with lighter weights.

This, according to the ICMSA, should be in addition to continued progress on the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) and processor-led sustainability programmes.

The ICMSA also called for pricing models such as the quality payments system (QPS) pricing grid to be re-evaluated to reflect the percentage of dairy-bred cattle being slaughtered, which now accounts for almost 65% of prime cattle slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland.

Bull beef

The ICMSA also said that a study should be carried out on bull beef and its contribution to reducing slaughter age.

The farm organisation added there is "huge potential" within this category of animal to aid a further reduction in age to slaughter, due to improvements in genetic gain in recent years.

According to the ICMSA, farmers finishing bulls are "top class in this business model" as it is a specialised, high input system.

"These farmers have the potential, as well as other top-class farmers, to help in reducing age to slaughter," the farm organisation said.

The ICMSA also said that primary producers need to be rewarded, and receive intuitive funding to help achieve this.