In the programme, calves born on Fonterra farms to the selected beef sires are tagged with branded ear tags that identify them as performance beef calves that are suitable for the beef-on-dairy value chain. Cattle processed through the beef-on-dairy programme at Silver Fern Farms will receive a premium (currently 15c/kg). We already have demand from beef farmers for these calves and are working with Silver Fern Farms to make it easier to place these calves into the beef industry.
What’s in it for dairy farmers?
Better replacements drive your herd forward faster. Producing high quality beef calves from your non-replacement matings is an excellent way to fund a mating plan that delivers better heifers for your dairy herd. Joining our beef-ondairy partnership allows you to use beef semen with more confidence in the calving ease and gestation length of the calves, and produce calves that are sought after by beef farmers.
What do dairy farmers need to do?
From 1 September 2026, sign up to be part of the programme at nzfarmsource.co.nz/beef-on-dairyprogramme.
Use sires from the selected list for mating in 2026. Charolais and Hereford sires are available from Genez, CRV and LIC. These sires will need to be the only sires of that breed used, so that you can rely on the colour markings to identify the calves from these sires.
Tag your calves with the branded tags when they are born in 2027. Subsided tags will be available to farmers who have joined the programme.
Sell your calves for beef whenever it suits your system, as feeder calves, 100kg weaners, or later. Let us know during the sign-up process (or later) if you’re interested in being connected to buyers.
Is this only for Friesian herds?
No. Selected sires will produce a good calf across all cows. We expect calves from these sires over crossbred cows to perform better than calves from standard beef sires over Friesian cows. The branded tag will become a trusted indicator of performance by calf buyers.
What’s special about these sires?
Beef-on-dairy must complement the dairy system, so selected Charolais sires are proven easy calvers and Hereford sires are either proven easy calving or have very conservative birthweight breeding values. Mean gestation length for each sire is no longer than 282 days. All thresholds are informed from the Beef+Lamb NZ Dairy Beef Progeny Test.
Growth rate is the key profit driver in a beef finishing system, and selected sires have high growth rates. This will drive repeat demand for the tagged calves, which is further supported by the premium for cattle processed through the beef-on-dairy programme at Silver Fern Farms.
Want to know more?
Get in touch with Rebecca Hickson, Dairy Beef Development Manager, (rebecca.hickson@fonterra.com), or talk to your breeding company about accessing the semen.
Already on board?
From 1 September 2026, you can sign up to the programme at nzfarmsource.co.nz/beef-on-dairyprogramme. This will simplify your tag ordering and keep you up to date with the latest opportunities aligned with the programme.
