SIR, – Having read Jim Brown’s article ‘The changing shape of the beef industry’, I would agree with Jim’s comments regarding the modern Charolais, it has changed and adapted to today’s commercial requirements. I didn’t though agree with the comments that the Charolais ‘found it more difficult to sell at Stirling’.

We had a flying trade for Charolais bulls, with 85 sold, averaging £6079 (£405 up on the year) and a 19% increase on last year’s clearance rate to 82%. Prices peaked at 12,000gns, twice and seven were sold for 10,000gns and above, with a further 14 making more than 8000gns.

We can attribute this demand to our members being pro-active to the market place and commercial farmers seeing the success in the suckler and store markets for Charolais-bred cattle. The breed’s focus has been on improving calving ease and this combined with quicker finishing times and higher prices for Charolais sired progeny across the country, has seen both our averages and clearance rates increase at every society sale this year.

The smart money is coming back to the modern British Charolais.

Peter Phythian

Chief executive,

British Charolais Cattle Society,

Kenilworth.