Production, prices and patties

In 2015 Teagasc and Dawn Meats, supported by McDonald’s, established a commercial suckler herd, known as the Newford Herd, in Athenry, Co. Galway. The aim was, according to Teagasc, to demonstrate the potential of a moderately large suckler beef farm to generate a viable family farm income when operated to the highest level of technical efficiency and best practice.
The conclusion of the Athenry lease a few years back presented an opportunity to move to the herd to pastures new, and in 2023 Newford Farm, comprising a 90-cow suckler-calf-to-beef herd, was established on 118 acres in Co. Roscommon. It was a positive move, said Paul: “Certainly the results and the achievements have been exemplary. The farm is getting there. Maintaining the efficiencies that we’ve always had with the herd itself is the most important thing. We brought the herd over from Athenry so we had a head start on the new farm. Obviously, farm infrastructure and refining the management of the new unit is ongoing.”

Dan Browne legacy

Reflecting on Dawn Meats’ co-founder, the late Dan Browne’s ambitions for the beef-finishing showcase enterprise, Paul said the initial targets are being achieved. “Our typical bullock is being slaughtered at 22 months of age at 350kg, grade R3, and the heifers are finishing at 18 months of age, typically R3, at 305kg. So, in terms of the efficiencies, slaughtering at a young age, the genetics are absolutely honed at this stage to give us what we’re looking for.
“Our suckler first-calver heifers are calving down at 24 months. They would be the offspring of AngusXFriesian cows, crossed initially with an Angus bull and, thereafter, they go on to produce animals of a slightly sturdier nature through crossing with the likes of Limousin and Charolais and so on up along the line.”

Minimising the second winter

Early finishing brings significant cost savings; the vast amount of thrive is being achieved, and beef is being produced just from grazed grass, explained Paul. “Looking back at the last couple of years, the cattle slaughtered have had no more than 550kg of feed in their lives and almost all of that was at the weanling stage of their development. Otherwise, it’s grass and grass silage right the way through. It’s not what I would call the traditional suckler herd of continental type cows. This is a cow breed that’s able to deliver a finished carcass, ultimately, from a lower dam weight.”
He continued: “The questions Dan Browne asked were, what does the market want and what’s the most efficient way to produce it? We know in Ireland there was a tradition of heavier continental Charolais crosses doing the job. We weren’t sure it could be done with a lighter breeding stock. We’ve proved that it can and is being done on a regular basis in Newford. There is, of course, still a market for heavier cattle. There is a market for every type, particularly in relation to the export market for those continental weanlings that west of Ireland farms are renowned for producing. There’ll always be a demand for those bigger muscled animals from the feedlots in Spain and Italy. But for us, it works on a combination. Success is based on good breeding and genetics, good grassland, and animal management.”

Production efficiencies

Paul outlined the efficiencies being promoted at Newford Farm: “There is one person operating the unit. That includes ensuring all the cows are artificially inseminated each year, that grass growth and utilisation are optimised, and that targets are met for grass, weight gain, and finishing dates. This year, for example, all bar six cows calved down in the first six weeks. These are the kind of things that we’re trying to show that can make life a bit more workable and sustainable in all its meanings on a suckler farm. Attention to animal welfare and health and safety in general are also high priorities for the farm.”
Recently, Newford Farm hosted an open day to highlight learnings from the enterprise for visitors. “All the financials, including production costs and returns for the farm, were on view and, especially, how they were achieved, how we got there,” said Paul. “We don’t pretend to be know-alls; we’re trying to show what we think we’ve successfully achieved, as well as things that didn’t go as well as we expected. If farmers saw 12 key points on four boards around the farm that afternoon, and if two or three of them could be applied to their own farm to make their lot a bit better, then I think it’s a win-win.”

Finisher losses

Paul wasn’t hiding from the fact that many beef finishers were badly burned, financially when they sold finished cattle during the spring: “Absolutely. That’s a given, unfortunately. We knew last year that we were living in exceptional times. The market was on fire because a whole lot of things came together at the same time. There was a global beef scarcity, and an improvement in demand, along with a growing world population that was enjoying a reasonable spend on food, including red meat. Almost overnight, that has changed. Even before the Middle East war started, sales had been under a bit of pressure since Christmas and now, with everybody watching what’s going on at the fuel pump and the oil tank, their concern is driving a tightening of consumption and spending.”
Paul acknowledged the expectation that prices would have stabilised and increased in line with the normal beef price push early each year, but the opposite happened: “I was just looking at the figures recently, and it was only in late March to early April that prices were less than they were in the same week last year. Price managed to hold generally at the beginning of the year, but that’s probably more to do with the fact that the kill was somewhat smaller this year compared to other years. The reflection is just the same as when cattle prices went up last year. The old adage of supply and demand normally kicks in. This year, it just isn’t quite there and it’s something we all have to watch. And no doubt we’ll be watching events unfolding in the Middle East because of the impact that’s having on everybody’s lives in every way."
Paul continued: "The bottom line, all I can tell you really, is that the kills are lower than last year and that is helping hold prices reasonably steady now. I would be concerned if there were a lot more cattle available for kill, then we would see a bit of a surplus and we know what happens in supply and demand when you end up in a surplus. In terms of markets and consumer demand, across the board, in our main markets of Ireland, the UK and Europe you can feel the drag and when you get that drag the first thing people do is consume locally produced beef as far as possible and cut down their spend on the premium quality offering that Ireland is renowned for. So, we feel it slightly quicker than the local processors in our export markets, but it’s felt across the board this year. It’s not pleasant out there at the moment.”

Where now for beef prices?

Beef markets are especially difficult to predict for the remainder of the year, Paul says: “Overall, livestock numbers are back, not only in Ireland and the UK but across Europe. Is there hope for at least stability and incremental improvements? There are two ways of looking at it. On the one hand, we saw what has happened to beef prices in the first four months of 2026, which, as far as I’m concerned, reflects where the market is. At the same time, mart prices haven’t, pro-rata, come down in terms of what people are paying again for store cattle to go out on grass. The positives, as confirmed by Bord Bia statistics, are that we will be down further on last year’s kill again this year. That, obviously, should help keep the supply side tight and keep prices to consumers up. On the other side, unfortunately, the big unknown is what is going to be the outcome in the Middle East. If some kind of peace is achieved, then confidence can resurge at a time when beef is still reasonably tight. But remember, in 2027, if everything goes to plan, we will have another 100,000 tonnes of Mercosur product come in. The British will probably up their purchase of Australian beef. Australia has also negotiated an EU contract. So, we need the market to be buoyant to give us the prices that we all want. These are all reasons why people need to be careful when they’re making cattle purchasing decisions.”

The Big Mac business

Dawn Meats supplies millions of burgers to McDonalds annually; Paul describes the two companies as having a ‘wonderful relationship for the guts of 40 years’. He said: “In terms of getting the closest you can to the interface with the consumer in making the burger patties for them since 2012, it has been, I have to say, a very good relationship. There has been huge input by both parties. You have to stay sharp and keep up with the trends and consumer movements and so on. I think it’s a credit to both companies that we have made it work so well for so long as a major processor and supplier of burger patties to McDonalds. In addition, the company buys a heck of a lot of Irish raw material. In fact, if they were a country, they’d be Ireland’s fourth biggest market in volume terms.
“Dawn’s relationship is unique, in a sense, in Ireland. We make the burger pattie for them. But the rest of the product raw material is going into their own pattie-processing operations across Europe. They are very proud to say, and we’re very glad to hear them say it, that one in five burgers eaten in Ireland, Britain or the EU [in McDonalds] today is 100 per cent Irish beef.”