BEEF
BEEF FINISHING
Meeting Beef Specifications in Fife One Fife farmer whose positive supplier relationship with ABP underpins his successful beef finishing enterprise is Willie Barr, Halhill Farm, Collessie, near Cupar. he Barr family have been farming at Halhill for nearly seventy years since Willie’s grandfather moved from Roberton Mains near Biggar in 1943. The business is a family partnership run with wife Deirdre, his parents Andrew and Margaret and with support from 2 full time staff and seasonal help at lambing and harvest. Over 200 beef cattle are finished each year on this 980acre arable and stock rearing farm and every beef animal sold goes to ABP through procurement specialist, Malcolm MacDiarmid. Willie says, “I’m committed to deadweight selling; it’s in the best interest of the cattle to leave the farm and go straight to ABP in Perth. I’m limiting the stress involved, reducing the costs of intermediaries and am paid for every kg of beef produced.” Procurement Willie buys all the store cattle, selecting them himself from Forfar, Lanark and St Boswells auction markets during October. “In order
T
14
to satisfy customer specifications our finished cattle must be R4L or better. I’m looking for a store animal I know will thrive on our system and go on to produce a carcass of this specification. The auction system is the best and fairest way to purchase stores and I regularly bring home animals from the same farms each year. Charolais are my first choice for optimum growth and performance and I also buy Simmentals. Steers from 10 – 14 months old are sought and they need to be about 400kg – 450kg by this stage to fit into our system. To achieve my aim of supplying ABP with 100% of my stock at R4L grade or better I look for length and good confirmation, it’s got to have a decent back side.” His strategy works as he regularly achieves this goal and last year over 40% killed out at a U grade achieving a premium of 6p per kg over the R specification. Willie’s convinced that this premium is not sufficient to provide an incentive to move to an increased supply of U grade carcasses,
he comments, “U grade killing out percentages are typically in the region of 60%, that’s up to 5% more than a R grade carcass and 10% more than an O grade carcass so I’d expect returns greater than those currently on offer to consider altering my current strategy.” Rations Stores numbering 233 went into the shed in October 2011 and Willie explains they retain a traditional feeding system based on silage, straw and homegrown barley. Silage is taken from second and third year leys according to requirements and grass available. This year Halhill has enjoyed excellent grass growth so one cut will fill the three 600t silage pits and second cut will be baled and wrapped. 150t of homegrown barley is stored in a grain silo, the barley is bruised and then home mixed with beet pulp shreds and Harbro Buchan Bull to increase protein levels. Ad lib silage and twice daily feeding of the home mix see the stores put on over a 1kg per day each during the finishing
period. At turnout, 53 stayed inside as they were approaching 400kg carcass weight and target specification. The remaining 180 were turned out to grass in April and will be regularly assessed for condition with those nearing finishing coming back into the shed for the final few weeks. Customer Focus Willie is one of only two Scottish producers serving on Sainsbury’s Beef Supplier Steering Committee. The group, which consists of 16 ABP beef suppliers from across the UK is part of a move to break down barriers in the supply chain and to communicate some of the issues facing the industry. Having taken part in regular discussions at ABP Ellesmere. “Serving on the committee gives me an opportunity to participate in dialogue with representatives from Sainsbury’s who make the beef purchasing decisions – they share information on the retail market, and any trends or changes to consumer habits and I can enlighten on such