UK beef farmers have to look to more sustainable, efficient breeds and overall methods of production, if they are to improve overall productivity and nett profits in an era of ever decreasing financial support.

With the UK having the highest average cost of production of any major beef producing country in the world, with figures from AHDB Stocktake showing the average beef farmer losing £150 per cow per year, David Alvis, managing director of the Stabiliser Cattle Company, said it is inefficient breeds and systems that underpin this figure as they not only economically unsustainable, but also environmentally unsustainable.

Speaking at the breed open day at Wold Farm, East Yorkshire, he added that the composite of maternal and terminal beef breeds that make up Stabiliser genetics, backed up by a thorough breed performance recording system, has multiple advantages for the industry.

“Producers using Stabiliser genetics are seeing improvements in calving ease, fertility, feed efficiency and faster growth rates, with cattle reaching the market as early as 12 months of age. Due to the more moderate cow size and earlier first calving, which requires fewer youngstock to be carried, stocking rates can be increased. All of these things work together for significant profit gains,” explained Mr Alvis.

“This systematic approach has had a positive trickle-down effect on other segments in the supply chain. Abattoirs are receiving cattle of a more consistent size and age, which in turn delivers a consistently better eating experience for consumers due to improved meat quality,” he said.

SAC beef specialist Jimmy Hyslop added that 70-90% of total feed inputs in a beef system go into maintaining a suckler cow and her calf, with only 10-30% of feed inputs used for growth of the finished animal.

Since 2011, Dr Hyslop has analysed data from 1338 animals on 17 different net feed efficiency (NFE) trials conducted at SCC’s Wold Farm, tracking dry matter intake, daily live weight gain and carcass fat depth.

“For the same performance level, more efficient, low NFE bulls consume 14% less feed than less efficient, high NFE bulls, reducing feed costs by £21 per head over 12 weeks. Feed consumption for low NFE steers is 12% less, saving £22/head. This equates to a £90 cost saving per finishing space per year – potentially the difference between profit and loss,” explained Dr Hyslop.

“From our own research in the UK and combined data from around the world, average heritability for NFE is also significant at 37%, with its effect being observed in terms of improved growth and maintenance across male and female offspring.”

Being able to select for more feed efficient cattle has also had a huge impact on both the profitability and overall sustainability of beef production, which is why SCC has invested considerable resources over the last six years, to develop the industry’s first commercially validated EBVs for Net Feed Efficiency.”

Along with improved feed conversion, data from the NFE trials has shown low NFE cattle generate 9% lower methane emissions per day for the same rate of weight gain than cattle with a high NFE.