On this page you will find information about the beef-on-dairy prograame, including eligible sires, how to sign up and other requirements.
Summary:
Fonterra has partnered with Silver Fern Farms to build a beef-on-dairy excellence programme for prime steers and heifers, and we are inviting farmers to join the team.
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.
How does the programme work?
Calves born on Fonterra farms to the selected beef sires are tagged with branded ear tags.
These tags identify them as performance beef calves that are suitable for the beef-on-dairy value chain
You are required to source the specified semen through your breeding company - a list of qualifying sires is available below.
Charolais and Hereford sires are available from most breeding companies. 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.
Sign up to be part of the programme using the online form below.
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 using the online form above.
Sell your qualifying beef calves whenever it suits your system, as feeder calves, 100 kg weaners, or later. Let us know during the sign-up process (or later) if you’re interested in being connected to buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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-on-dairy partnership allows you to use beef semen with confidence in the calving ease and gestation length, and produce calves that are sought after by beef farmers.
The Beef-on-Dairy Progeny test showed over 2 weeks range in weaning age among sires with similar birthweight calves. Calves from high growth sires reach weaning faster and for less feed inputs.
These calves are from high growth sires and carry a quality mark in the form of a branded ear tag that tells their provenance story to buyers. They will be sought after by finishers for their growth characteristics and premium eligibility.
Access to tags is carefully managed to ensure that the tags are a reliable indicator of genetics.
Growth rate is a key driver of profitability in a beef system, with high growth cattle producing more carcass weight from the same feed inputs. When processed through the SFF Beef-on-Dairy programme, these cattle qualify for the premium in that programme, creating a stacked benefit of more carcass weight and higher return per kg.
Access to tags is carefully managed to ensure that the tags are a reliable indicator of genetics, and this indicator is available at all points of sale, simplifying sourcing of these calves.
- Sign up to be part of the programme here.
- Use sires from the selected list for mating in 2026. Charolais and Hereford sires are available from most AB companies.
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. 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.
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.
Beef-on-dairy must complement the dairy system, so selected Charolais sires are proven easy calving 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 Beef-on-Dairy 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.
The opportunity to access tags and be part of the value chain is exclusive to Fonterra suppliers. However, the semen is available to all farmers, and is a reference list for performance dairy beef sires.
Rearers and finishers that are not Fonterra suppliers can purchase calves in the programme.
Silver Fern Farms offers a premium for cattle supplied into the programme, but there is no obligation to process the cattle at Silver Fern Farms. Cattle can be processed at any processor, and have the genetics to perform well for all finishers, even without the premium.
Yes. The programme is for beef-on-dairy heifers and steers (not bulls). Contact your SFF representative to learn more about the animal specifications for the programme.
Dairy farmers and rearers can get in touch with our Dairy Beef Development Manager, Rebecca Hickson (beef-on-dairyprogramme@fonterra.com), or talk to your breeding company about accessing the semen.
Finishers can talk to your local SFF representative.
Need help right now with joining the beef-on-dairy programme? Talk to us
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