NI farmers invited into £16.6m genotyping scheme
© Tim Scrivener Dairy and beef suckler farmers in Northern Ireland are being encouraged to join a new cattle genotyping scheme offering payments of £13 for each eligible animal.
The Bovine Genetics Genotyping Scheme opens on 1 September 2026 and will initially provide financial support for farmers to genotype existing breeding animals, including future replacements.
From January 2027, calves born and registered on the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System during that calendar year will also have the opportunity to be genotyped.
See also: NI farmers face deadline for Daera capital grants
Daera farming minister Andrew Muir said the scheme would help farmers make more informed breeding decisions by identifying key traits earlier in an animal’s life.
He described it as a “world-leading scheme” that would support a more resilient, efficient and environmentally sustainable bovine livestock sector.
“It will enable herd owners to improve the accuracy of breeding decisions by identifying traits such as feed efficiency and health-related characteristics at an earlier stage,” he said.
Mr Muir encouraged eligible farm businesses to take advantage of the funding available to genotype their animals.
Scheme details
Farm businesses must opt in to qualify for payments, with details of eligible animals available through the Bovine Genetics Project user portal operated by Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG).
Genotyping involves analysing DNA from an ear tissue sample collected using an ear tag, similar to the process used under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea eradication programme.
The scheme has a £16.6m budget, based on all eligible cattle being genotyped, and forms part of Daera’s wider £60m Bovine Genetics Project.
The project, delivered with SRG under Daera’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme, aims to give farmers greater access to genetic information to inform long-term breeding decisions.
CAFRE will provide online and in-person guidance from 1 September covering eligibility, key dates and how farmers can participate.