IN THE world of pedigree cattle, there is some stiff competition for domination, however, Laura Bowyer – marketing manager for the Hereford Cattle Society – states that the society has witnessed a resurgence of the breed, within the UK, in recent years.

“To date, there are currently over 1000 active Hereford breeders across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which has increased by nearly 60% over the last 10 years,” she confirmed.

“Over 9000 pedigree calves are now registered each year, which is up nearly 50% compared to 10 years ago. Looking at the equally important commercial numbers, over 185,000 Hereford sired progeny are now registered each year in the UK, including those on cross-bred suckler and dairy systems – an almost 90% increase over the last decade.

“Not only does this prove that the society is moving in the right direction and the breed is gaining increased momentum, but it also shows how commercially relevant and popular Hereford cattle have become, once again, in the UK.

“The number of branded Hereford beef carcases, which went through the system in 2019, saw an increase of over 350% compared to 10 years ago,” added Laura.

Since the last World Hereford Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2016, the Hereford breed has witnessed a string of price records in the UK.

“In 2017, a record average price at a society sale was set for heifers at just over £3600, while in 2018, we saw a record average price at Hereford market for bulls of over £4300, with a joint top of £8200,” Laura continued.

At the dispersal sale of Phil and Alison Allman’s Greenyards herd, in January 2020, the five-year-old cow, Greenyards 1 Truelove M314, sold for a female centre record at Hereford market at £10,700.

The Designer Genes sale is a privately-run pedigree Hereford sale at Shrewsbury Auction Centre and in December-2018, a new public sale price record for a poll bull of £13,650 was set.

The society is also working towards more robust genetic analyses, in the form of genomics, and follows its move from microsatellite to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) testing.

“The benefits of SNP testing include sire discovery without the requirement of the dam, future genomic evaluations and early decisions on animal’s destinies, traceability and food integrity,” Laura explained. “The success of any future move to producing genomically enhanced EBVs will be dependent on the quality and quantity of the performance recorded data.”

“We are encouraging breeders to embrace Breedplan, a free service to our members, to help the society move forward with this technology.”

Laura also stated that Hereford beef has been in Vogue magazine over the past 18 months and has picked up a number of national awards, which she says ‘perfectly reflects its quality’.

“Much work is still to be done in promoting Hereford beef to the public – this is essential in order to provide existing and potential stockists of Hereford beef with the confidence that consumers recognise our brand,” she continued.”Quality has never been an issue for Hereford beef but its recognition as a premium product has.

“At the end of 2019, the society’s council appointed the services of a reputable London-based food PR and marketing agency, to work to raise the profile of Hereford beef, via both traditional print and online methods.”

The society believes that they have an animal that is efficient at turning forage into a high-quality source of protein, along with the associated health benefits of eating beef higher in omega 3 than that produced from a grain-based diet.

 

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