Shrinking cattle inventories in recent years leads to a wide range of impacts on the multi-sectored cattle industry.

A new €1m ‘state-of-the-art’ centre that will apply cutting-edge research to benefit and improve the health and rearing of dairy calves has been opened at University College Dublin (UCD) Lyons Farm.

Last year cattle feeders saw profits of about $185 per head the final week of January. This year feeder cattle represent 65% of the cost of finishing a steer compared with 72% a year ago.