The Commercial Beef Value (CBV) will now be shown on mart sale boards for all genotyped animals with a verified sire, regardless of whether the herd selling the cattle is a HerdPlus member.

Previously, the display of CBV values was restricted to animals being sold from HerdPlus herds.

The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) has said the new enhancement will be adapted from today (Friday, March 6).

The ICBF has said that the move will ensure that "valuable genetic data" generated through the National Genotyping Programme (NGP) and Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) can be used by "as many herds as possible" and is aimed at delivering "greater value from the industry’s investment in genotyping".

Commenting on the development, ICBF chair Michael Doran said: "This change further unlocks the potential of the data generated through genotyping.

"By removing barriers, we ensure farmers and buyers can make better decisions that drive profitability and sustainability across the beef and dairy sectors."

Corrin Mart comment

Adding to this, Sean Leahy, manager of Corrin Mart in Fermoy, Co. Cork, said: “Last week, 65% of the calves going through Corrin Mart had their CBV displayed.

"It’s definitely positive. Anything that encourages better breeding, better genetics and ultimately better profitability overall has to be a positive.”

What is the CBV?

The CBV is essentially a genetic value that predicts the profitability of finishing animals.

It is a relatively new tool but has been proving to be highly effective in identifying the most profitable animals for finishing.

It incorporates traits of economic importance to ‘drystock’ herds such as:

Carcass weight;
Age at finish;
Feed intake.

It helps buyers select animals that deliver better margins and performance.

Based on 2025 figures, the move by ICBF to display a CBV for additional herds would result in a 34% increase to approximately approximately 385,000 animals sold at marts with a CBV displayed.

The wider industry has invested heavily in the NGP and SCEP, and genotyping numbers are continuing to rise.

The number of young stock (under one year) genotyped in 2024 was 900,000, in 2025 was 1 million.

It is expected that over 1 million young animals will be genotyped in 2026, highlighting that the availability of CBV data will continue to grow as the number of genotyped animals continues to grow, according to the ICBF.