National Genotyping Programme Reopens: How Herdwatch Makes It Simple

Ireland’s National Genotyping Programme (NGP) is one of the most ambitious cattle breeding initiatives in the world and Irish farmers are right at the centre of it. The programme aims to genotype every calf born on participating farms, creating a fully DNA-verified national herd.

If you are already enrolled, or thinking about joining, here is everything you need to know about the NGP and how Herdwatch can help make the process as smooth as possible. Herdwatch offers one of Ireland’s most trusted farm management software.

What is the National Genotyping Programme (NGP)?

The National Genotyping Programme is a collaborative initiative managed by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

It operates on a cost-sharing model between DAFM, Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), Meat Industry Ireland (MII), and participating farmers, with a total investment of €43 million committed over five years.

The goal is straightforward: genotype (DNA test) every calf born on participating farms from the point of birth, using a special double tissue tag. This creates an unbroken chain of verified parentage, more accurate breeding indexes, and better decision-making tools for both dairy and beef farmers.

Prior to the NGP launching in 2023, just 6.5% of the national dairy herd had been genotyped. By 2025, that figure had grown to around 42% of all calves born in Ireland in that year, with ICBF now managing one of the largest cattle genotype databases in the world, containing over 6.2 million genotypes.

Benefits of genotyping cattle in Ireland

Joining the NGP gives participating farmers access to a range of benefits that improve both efficiency and profitability on farm:

• Accurate parentage verification: parentage errors (currently running at approximately 15% nationally) are corrected before the calf passport is issued
• Faster, more reliable breeding indexes: EBI, Eurostar, and Dairy Beef Index (DBI) values available from just a few weeks old
• Commercial Beef Values (CBVs) for calves, weanlings, and store cattle at the point of sale, giving buyers and sellers more confidence
• Exclusive access to double tissue tags, which sample calves at birth with no more rounding up animals for button tags or hair-cards
• Safer handling: tagging newborn calves is considerably easier and safer than working with more mature animals
• Herd EBI reliability increases of up to 20% for herds enrolled in the programme
• Better mating decisions, including the ability to identify and avoid carriers of myostatin variants that affect calving ease

How does genotyping cattle work under the NGP?

The process is designed to integrate into normal calving routines with as little disruption as possible. Here is how it works step by step:

1. When the calf is born, tag it with the approved double tissue tag from your ICBF-approved tag supplier (Agritags, Cormac Tagging, Datamars, or Mullinahone Co-op)
2. Post the DNA samples to the NGP Genotype Laboratory at ICBF, PO Box 1104, Naas Mail Centre, Co. Kildare, using the return envelopes provided by your tag supplier. During peak calving, ICBF recommends sending samples at least twice per week
3. Record the calf details (date of birth, sex, sire, dam) as soon as possible via Agfood.ie or a farm software package such as Herdwatch
4. Once DNA results are returned to ICBF, complete the registration online and the calf passport (blue card) will be issued

Average lab turnaround is around 4 days, with the full process from posting to receiving results typically taking 10 to 12 days.

What does genotyping cattle cost?

For farmers enrolled in the NGP, the total genotyping cost is approximately €6 per calf. This covers the genotyping fee (€4, collected by direct debit by ICBF within a month of tag purchase), plus the cost of the double tissue tag and postage.

In year one of joining the programme, all your breeding females and stock bulls that are not already genotyped are sampled free of charge. This ensures that when your calves are born, their DNA can be correctly matched to their dam.

Membership of HerdPlus or the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) is required to participate. Suckler beef herds not in SCEP can join via the Beef HerdPlus service, which carries an annual membership fee of €60.

What’s involved in the programme?

The NGP runs through to 2027. Farmers who join are committing to genotyping all calves born on the holding every year until the programme ends, no exceptions, including male calves, dead calves, dairy calves, and beef calves. Dead calves can still count towards your SCEP genotyping requirement, so make sure to register calves before sending them to the knackery.

One important note on registration: do not wait for DNA lab results before registering calves. As long as the calf was registered online within 27 days of birth, it will not be recorded as a late registration, even if the DNA results are still pending. Late registration can reduce SCEP payment.

How Herdwatch supports NGP farmers

Herdwatch is one of the official farm software packages listed by ICBF for NGP calf registration, alongside Agrinet, Kingswood Computing, and Farm Ops. For farmers already using Herdwatch, it is the natural tool to manage your NGP compliance alongside all your other herd records.

Register calves in seconds

Record date of birth, sex, sire, dam, and all other calf details from your phone the moment the calf arrives. No paperwork, no duplication.

Automatic sync with ICBF

All calf data, including genotyped calves, syncs automatically with ICBF. You get instant feedback from both ICBF and DAFM, helping you stay on top of any issues before they become compliance problems.

Register movements with a scan

Register ON movements by scanning the barcode on the animal passport. Register OFF movements by tapping the animals you plan to move. Herdwatch notifies CTS or APHIS instantly.

Report animal deaths

Select the animal that died and report it to BCMS through Herdwatch. You then have 7 days to return the animal’s passport to BCMS. For NGP purposes, genotype samples from dead calves can still count towards your requirement, so register the calf first.

How to apply to join the NGP

Applications to join the NGP are managed through ICBF. Apply or check the current programme details and closing dates.

For queries, contact ICBF directly:

• Phone: (023) 8820452
• Email: ngp@icbf.com
• Postal address for DNA samples: National Genotyping Programme, ICBF Genotype Laboratory, PO Box 1104, Naas Mail Centre, Co. Kildare

Already using Herdwatch and want to make sure your NGP calf registrations are set up correctly? The Herdwatch support team is on hand to help.

Request a quote today or start your 30-day free trial.