BCBC Conference 2025: 'The Herd of the Future'

The 2025 British Cattle Breeders Conference will address how cattle breeding can meet the rising demands of food production whilst simultaneously reducing the impact of methane emissions.

Well-respected farmers and academia will come together at the event in Telford next January to debate the hot topic.

BCBC Chairman Andy King, who chose this year’s theme ‘The Herd of the Future,’ says cattle breeding will need to deliver outcomes that embrace change to meet production and environmental targets.

Recent AHDB figures show the breeding cattle population is relatively static but with a continual decline in suckler numbers. There will be a session that will delve into sustainable suckler production and assess what genetics are required to produce beef from the dairy herd.

The conference will kick off with an interactive workshop on Monday afternoon, followed by beef presentations on Tuesday and dairy presentations on Wednesday.

This year, two bovine sessions will replace the dairy workshop. The first one, on Tuesday, will explore how genetic tools can add value and reduce inbreeding. The second, on Wednesday morning, will assess the opportunities for monitoring cattle health using artificial intelligence.

Some of the confirmed speakers include:

Mr King adds: “The conference is a great chance to see how our cattle industry is shaping

up for the future in terms of delivering its responsibilities in both producing food 

and looking after our scarce resources.

“It also presents great networking opportunities, alongside catching up with contacts, old and new.”

The conference will take place at the Telford Hotel and Golf Resort from 20-22 January 2025.

The full programme of speakers will be available shortly.  Early bird and group bookings will be available to book later this month.

Accommodation is available in the conference hotel for £125/night.  All bookings to be made directly through BCBC, contact mailto:heidi.bradbury@cattlebreeders.org.uk?subject=BCBC%202025%20.11(heidi.bradbury@cattlebreeders.org.uk)