BEEF EXPO

2:25pm Friday 23rd May 2008

Beef Expo 2008 was hailed a huge success after coming to Perth Agricultural Centre, on Wednesday, attracting attendance figures in excess of 3000 people – which is on a par with the last time the event was held in Scotland, at Thainstone near Aberdeen, four years ago.

SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS!

4:01pm Friday 9th May 2008

At long last, spring appears to have sprung! Grass is growing, calving is over, the lambing is all but done - thankfully, and farmers are flying on with spring cropping work. Therefore, we can all look forward to a well-deserved day out to the UK's national beef event, Beef Expo, 2008, which couldn't be more appropriately themed Engage with beef - sustainable systems'. The event - to be staged at Perth Agricultural Centre, on Wednesday, May 21 - will be focusing at the continued need to improve efficiency and reduce costs where possible to ensure sustainable systems and profitability in the long-term if and when the Single Farm Payment disappears. "Beef Expo is being held at an important time for the beef industry and we are at something of a crossroads," said Randal Wilson, chairman of the organising committee. "Beef producers have had a decade and more of relentless economic pressure as a result of low returns, pressure from supermarkets to keep prices down and the combined effect of BSE, foot-and-mouth disease and now blue tongue. Therefore, it is not surprising that the UK beef suckler herd has been in steady decline. "But, hopefully, better times lie ahead. Prime cattle prices have made a remarkable recovery - although it should be remembered that we are just back to the prices which prevailed pre-BSE - and this is being reflected in better prices for store and breeding stock." Mr Wilson also added that the demand for beef is growing with MLC figures stating beef consumption is now exceeding pre-1996 levels, combined in a growth in beef exports. However, he warned that producers are not out of the woods yet and that more money has to be found to reduce the decline in the national beef herd. "The soaring cost of feed, fertiliser and fuel means that margins are probably no better now than when prices were languishing at around £2.20/kg and few farmers will be achieving a profit without the Single Farm Payment." And, while he acknowleded there are some signs on the political front that some form of headage payment may be available in the future, he said that the industry should still be planning ahead on the basis of a subsidy-free future. Mr Wilson added that Beef Expo could assist farmers in the future from various seminars by industry leaders, and by providing advice on the importance and use of EBVs, replacements females - of which there will be 27 pens on show at the event - and cattle handling systems, with world-wide animal behaviour expert Professor Temple Grandin of Colorado State University, giving a presentation. Beef Expo is preceeded on the Tuesday by visits to two leading Perthshire beef farms and a dinner, which are already a sell-out having attracted farmers from as far afield as Ireland, Norfolk, Australia, New Zealand and the Continent.