From field to fork…
Glenarm Shorthorn Beef Scheme Nominal membership fee 30p/kg premium over the average weekly market price for all cattle within the following spec •
• • • •
Sired by an approved registered Beef Shorthorn bull and out of a beef bred cow Slaughter age up to 30 months 280-380kg R or O+ 4L - 4H
Northern Ireland’s Glenarm Shorthorn Beef Scheme has grown since its launch in 2008 to a current 70 members producing an annual 1,200 to 1,400 Beef Shorthorn sired finished cattle. Libby Clarke chatted to two of the group’s members and then went on to meet with Hannan Meat’s owner and ambassador for Beef Shorthorn cattle in Ireland, Peter Hannan.
All cattle must be Farm Quality Assured. The Scheme rigidly sticks to the above criteria in order to offer customers the best eating quality and texture. All cattle are selected on farm by the Scheme’s coordinator, Bryan Wilson.
Beef Shorthorn, the undisputed breed
W
hen it comes to Beef Shorthorn, County Antrim suckler producer Robert Patton firmly believes that no other breed can deliver the profit margins that he is achieving when finishing stock through the Glenarm Shorthorn Beef Scheme. Robert and his son, 14-year-old Thomas, with the help of Colin Davies, run approximately 65 cows and 140 ewes on their Ballycarry based farm which ranges from level land on the sea front, right back to hill. The suckler enterprise has evolved over the years, with most of the cows now having a significant Beef Shorthorn influence. These are then crossed with a fleshy type of Beef Shorthorn bull to produce the type of calves that will ultimately fit the specification they require.
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Robert Patton
Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society Journal 2022
