The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has raised concerns about the trends in replacement dairy stock numbers so far this year.

It comes after the publication of the latest ICBF dairy stock statistics coinciding with the middle of peak breeding season.

The report showed that for the first four months of 2025, there were about 45,000 fewer dairy replacement calves born compared with the same period in 2024. There were also around 60,000 fewer dairy replacements than compared to 2023.

IFA dairy chair Martin McElearney urged farmers to consider using more dairy AI (both sexed and conventional) this year to ensure that they are breeding enough replacements for their herds.

"Should dairy replacement breeding trends remain the same for 2025, we are looking at a significant collapse of the dairy herds in two years’ time," he said.

“The number of dairy replacements born this year will be nowhere near sufficient to sustain the Irish dairy herd at current levels, particularly when the number of dairy stock being lost to bovine TB is accounted for.”

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