NBA Magazine - Summer 2022 Edition - Beef Expo Review by Nationalbeefassoc

Regional Round Ups Guest Writers News & Industry Health Breed Societies Summer 2022 | ISSUE 23

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Contents

Summer 2022 ISSUE 23

EDITOR Julie Holmes National Beef Association Concorde House 24 Warwick New Road Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 5JG 01434 601005 julie@nationalbeefassociation.com DEPUTY EDITOR Neil Shand ceo@nationalbeefassociation.com CHAIRMAN Andrew Laughton ADVERTISING Julie Holmes 01434 601005 julie@nationalbeefassociation.com

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NATIONAL BEEF ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022: Issue 23 NEXT ISSUE: AUTUMN 2022

NBA give notice that no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent of the publishers. Every care is taken when compiling editorial and advertisements and the publishers can accept no responsibility for errors or omissions arising from publication. Views expressed and information contained in The National Beef Association Magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the National Beef Association who cannot therefore be held responsible for any reason arising therefrom. Neither the Association, the Publisher nor the Editors endorses any services or products advertised in this Magazine.

Regulars

Features

Chairmans report

CEO Report

Cheshire farmer moves closer to making £30,000 wage from sucklers

8-9

Regional Round Ups

Selecting and breeding replacement heifers for the next generation

10-11

Parasite Watch

Beef Expo Review

12-25 28-29

Breed Society Focus - Beef Shorthorn

40-41

Beef in USA

Breed Society News

42-45

National Youngstock Conference

Supporting each other in times of adversity

Virgin Money - Where’s the beef!

Northampton beef farm scoops sustainability award

46-47

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Chairman’s Welcome

Welcome to the summer edition of Beef magazine Andrew Laughton

would like to thank all of you who attended our Expo at Darlington - it was great to catch up and feel the buzz after being so long away. Thank you to Neil and Julie who put so much time and effort to make it the success it was. I write after the hottest day on record in England at Coningsby, just barely 20 miles away from us, and the challenges the weather brings. A baler caught fire a few miles away, setting fire to the straw and stubble in the field and in turn standing crops - the warm breeze saw it travel a mile or more in a very short time. As ever, the farming community turned out and literally saved what could have been a worse disaster as houses were in its path. Two of our lads went - one picked a big bowser from a neighbour, and my son went with the slurry tanker. Whilst handy, water just couldn’t stop it – it needed a fire break so the arable guys turned out with their quad tracks and cultivators and I think saved the day. The fire brigade were marvellous, but it really did show how farmers step in to help, whether it

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

be clearing snow or creating firebreaks…… oh and we feed people in-between too!

As you have gathered, harvest has started early, and we have had another first for us. I have been rained off - even hailed off baling in the past but never dried off! The straw was below 5% moisture and we just couldn’t get the weight in a bale – you could push your hand in the side of a bale! So we have had to resort to a couple of nights baling away from the sun. It’s a time of year where the working week can be stretched. As we undertake these

long hours in tough conditions often working alone in remote places at unsociable hours, my message is to just take a moment to consider your own well-being. Yes, we all know the job has to be done and we know we have to do it – you only get one chance to save a calf with the skin over its nose or get a harvest. We aren’t like the Royal Mail who couldn’t deliver tags because it was too hot! But there are limits to what we can do in these conditions and long hours can lead to short cuts. Please, please take that moment to consider your safety and that of your workers. Make sure mobile phones are charged and that you have location apps downloaded. Let others know where you are and check on your colleagues. Take water with you. Consider some first aid training for your staff. Be vigilant, and above all get home safe – you probably wouldn’t realize how much you would be missed! Best wishes Andrew

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References: 1. Yarnall and Thrusfield (2017) Vet Record doi: 10.1136/vr.104370 2. Kynetec (2019) BVD sales data by value. Full year 2018 3. For active immunisation of cattle against BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, to prevent the birth of persistently infected calves caused by transplacental infection. Bovela lyophilisate and solvent for suspension for injection for cattle contains modified live BVDV-1, non-cytopathic parent strain KE-9: 104.0– 106.0 TCID50, modified live BVDV-2, non-cytopathic parent strain NY-93: 104.0–106.0 TCID50. UK: POM-V. Further information available in the SPC or from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd, RG12 8YS, UK. Tel: 01344 746957. Email: vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com. Bovela is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under licence. ©2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Date of preparation: Jul 2019. AHD12633. Use Medicines Responsibly.

MakE BVD history

Chief Executive’s Report

Party politics of a different kind Neil Shand

fter an enforced and extended build up, Beef Expo 2022 came and went in a flash. It was a fabulous day, and everyone appears to agree that it was a highly successful event. Sometimes, it’s difficult to place enough meaning behind the words ‘thank you’, and this is certainly the case here. Thank you doesn’t seem to convey the level of appreciation we feel for everyone who was involved in making the event so successful; the host market, the seminar speakers, trade stand exhibitors, breed societies, cattle show exhibitors and farm tour hosts.

Without you, there is no event, and we are truly grateful for your support. To those who attended - it would have been a quiet and pointless event without you, and your support was much appreciated; we hope you enjoyed your day. As for our uninvited guests, the protesters didn’t

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

impact on the success of our day at all except for providing something to look at whilst queueing! However, they are a reminder that our industry is always under scrutiny, and this is unlikely to be an isolated incident; expect more of these type of protests in the years to come. The three-year gap since the last Beef Expo certainly seemed to help build anticipation. Taking this into consideration, it’s likely that future events will move to a two-yearly format, allowing the event to stay fresh and for technology to advance. Further details will be revealed in the near future. As we head to the peak of summer, the expected increase in farm gate price hasn’t materialised. As the combine wheels start to turn, both feed and fertiliser prices have dipped a little. The farm gate price cannot be squeezed; there is no room for that. The price differential between clean cattle and cull cows is currently way too narrow – only 40ppkg at time of writing and is encouraging the slaughter of good productive cows. Clean cattle prices need to rise by a good 40-50ppkg or there will come a point of no return, where the numbers of productive cows are not sufficient to

maintain critical mass. It’s puzzling that the processors seem unable to do the maths on this one. The Government published their Food Strategy Report on the 13th June (I’m sure this date was insignificant…) and it received a highly positive response from many. I agree that there are positives. It should be remembered that this is a response to the Dimbleby Report, and not a commitment to a seismic shift in policy; it is, however, a statement of intent that we can hold them to account for. Just who we will be holding to account is still far from resolved at the time of writing. There are currently six candidates for the new Conservative leader (and therefore our new Prime Minister) – by the time you read this they will be whittled down to two. So far, only Liz Truss has mentioned the rural economy and the need for farmers to produce food. This is not necessarily an endorsement of her, but more of a concern how far Conservatives have become removed from their traditional historical roots, and how out of touch politics seems to be with the most vital basic need our country has. Have a good summer.

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Feeding Britain’s Farms

Industry News

Cheshire farmer moves closer to making £30,000 wage from sucklers 10 years ago, Cheshire beef farmer, Ian Norbury moved back to the family farm with the target of the business producing him a wage of £30,000 per year, similar to an average salary in the UK. After taking part in AHDB’s Farm Excellence programme as a Strategic Farmer for the past four years, he find himself much closer to his goal.

“W

hen I moved back to the farm, we had around 60 cows which were crossbreds produced from our disbanded dairy herd. I knew I was never going to be able to produce my target of £30,000 income; things had to change,” says Ian. In 2017, Ian Norbury became an AHDB Strategic Farmer and this was when things really started to accelerate. “I was provided with a consultant who advised me I needed to significantly increase cow numbers to spread my fixed costs.” Ian set about doubling the herd size, moving from 60 to 120 cows over the four-year period. During this time, he also moved from crossbreds to pedigree Angus’s, setting up the Mobberley Angus herd.

Ian has found that reducing the calving period has made management easier. He only has occasional labour and therefore manages calving himself, with the use of his newly installed CCTV system which enables him to keep an eye on the cows when he isn’t in the calving shed. One of the most successful ways Ian has managed to reduce his costs is by reducing his wintering housing period. Ian says: “After weaning in November cows are outwintered on kale and unwrapped bales of hay. The bales are made in the field, and we spread them out how we will feed them come winter. I always make sure I put one at either end of the field, in case there are any bully cows.” Winter just gone, cows spent 120 days on the kale, and were housed ready for calving

Ian says: “I increased herd size at the same time as trying to reduce my calving period. That year I bulled all females on the farm. I used four bulls across the herd to try and ensure good conception rates. That year I managed to reduce the calving period from 21 to 16 weeks, and I am now down to 12 weeks.” 08

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

on the 20 February. Ian says: “The cows are healthier, better outside and its cheaper for us. By reducing my housing period, I have managed to cut my wintering costs from £1.30 to £0.80 per day per cow, which when calculated across 120 cows soon adds up.” Cows calve inside and are then turned out when the calves are around 2-3 weeks of age. Ian tries to manage when cows calve, by timing when he feeds them silage. Ian says: “By getting the silage analysed, I work out exactly how much silage the cows need, I then feed them in the evening because they generally seem to calve during the day then.” Ian assists very few cows to calve. Using easy calving bulls and managing the cows well seems to keep this to a minimum.

Industry News

Over the past 10 years, Ian has reduced his average cow size from 788kg to 660kg. Ian says:

“It’s cheaper and more efficient to look after smaller cows. I am also noticing that their progeny finish better off a forage based diet.” Looking to the future, Ian wants to reduce his inputs further. “This year I am not going

to apply any fertiliser. By using rotational grazing and making the use of mixed species swards, I am hoping I will be able to manage without it. When you do the sums, it just doesn’t add up, when I am only making a margin of between £100-200 per cow. I would need to keep a lot of cows just to pay the fertiliser bill. I am better off reducing numbers if I need to.” Looking to the future Ian aims to reduce his costs further by weaning later and keeping more cows outside for longer and he thinks deferred grazing might be the answer. The changes Ian has made to improve cow performance are clear and although he hasn’t yet reached his target of making a wage of £30,000 per year, he is a lot closer now than he was 10 years ago.

Farm Facts • 100ha grass and forage located near Knutsford, Cheshire • 110 pedigree and crossbred Angus cows • Youngstock sold deadweight to ABP • Produces Mobberley Angus pedigree bulls • Homebred heifer replacement policy, calving at 24 months of age • Previous AHDB Beef & Lamb Strategic Farmer

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Industry News

Selecting and breeding replacement heifers for the next generation AHDB’s Senior Beef Breeding and Genetics Manager Alex Brown speaks to suckler farmer Sam Awdry, and his farm vet James Ryder about breeding heifers, including selection of heifers using farm records and pre-breeding checks, and how he chooses the bulls to use on them. Sam previously ran a semi-flying herd with a mixture of homebred cattle and dairy-bred replacements, but has been working hard to reduce their reliance on bought in stock to avoid disease and increase efficiency. Introduction to the farm Sam Awdry: “Our beef enterprise is part of a larger farm business, which also includes arable, alongside some contracting and haulage work. We calve 280 sucklers and finish between 300-400 cattle per year, some homebred and some bought in. The finishing animals go to ABP or Dovecote Park depending on the breed. We operate a three-breed rotation of Angus, Simmental and Charolais for our homebred cattle, and are doing our best to become a totally selfreplacing herd. We use majority Angus on our heifers, which we calve at two years. We keep females from each breed as well and then they go to a corresponding bull depending on their breed. Over the past five years we have tightened the calving period from 16-17 weeks to a more manageable nine weeks. This has been achieved through better management but also tougher culling decisions.”

Switching up replacement methods Issues with disease and cow longevity were the main drivers behind our change in replacement strategy. We previously relied on buying in dairy-bred replacements from

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

a variety of sources, and this introduced multiple issues with disease. Switching from buying in replacements to breeding our own has helped us to reduce disease in the herd. Unfortunately, the previous strategy has left us with an ongoing Johnes problem, it was a bad year this year and we had 5% test positive for Johnes. In terms of longevity; with the dairy bred replacements we found that they would get mastitis and end up being culled out early. There was also no consistency in the bought in replacements. Making the decision to stop buying in and go homebred has been a challenge, it’s been hard to reduce the number of bought-in replacements while maintaining herd size. Historically we have an older herd because when you buy in replacements you tend to buy in cows that are third or fourth calvers so they aren’t in your herd long before they are getting too old.

Breeding decisions for heifers Heifer weight needs to be above 400kg but I don’t want anything above 500kg when they go to the bull at 15 months as they are just too big. Health status, and temperament are key, and we pelvic measure the heifers as well. We don’t cull many for pelvic scoring, maybe 2-3 a year, but if it saves having to get the vet out to help them calve or perform a caesarean then it’s worth it.

Pelvic measuring James is a farm vet with a special interest in bovine reproduction at Garston Vets in Frome. He explains the importance of pelvic scoring: “Pelvic measuring is something we’ve been promoting as a practice in recent years. It’s important in the production of efficient heifers to recognise those who will be able to calve down easily and stay within the calving block, and to cull out the heifers who are going to have difficult calvings. Primarily you want to filter out outliers, and you want to do this before they go to the bull. Typically, we do this around 14 months of age. You can time it to fit in with other on-farm tasks such as first vaccinations or weighing for bulling weights. You can look at weight and the way the heifers have grown as well as having adequate pelvis size. It’s important to be aware of the age at which you pelvic score them though, because every month the animal grows, their pelvic area increases. This should be factored into your decision making. Alongside this, the gold standard to ensure your heifers are ready for breeding includes ultrasound scanning them to ensure they are cycling normally and they have reached

Industry News puberty. If you have any synchronisation protocols to do then it allows you to maximise the chances of them working because you know you’ve got a cycling heifer.”

Choosing the right bulls Sam says: “With heifers we use an easycalving Angus bull from a known herd. Their direct calving ease EBV needs to be positive. Our bulls have performed well this year, and we had just eight heifers we had to assist out of one large group. Good IMF scores (intramuscular fat) are also important to us, because it has an impact on eating quality, and I hope that the grading system in this country will change to take eating quality into account. If I can get good genetics for eating quality into the herd now, then I can be prepared for this. James adds: “It’s important to remember that genetic progress is cumulative and permanent. All the changes Sam is making with his breeding decisions (around pelvic scoring, IMF, weaning weights etc) will continue to improve the quality of his herd over time. Once you have these positive genetic changes in your herd, you’re going to be able to make progress quicker and easier.”

Calving ease is key Calving ease is affected by two main elements; the size of the calf, and the size of the dam’s pelvis, hence previous discussion on the importance of pelvic scoring. There are two EBVs that you can use to select bulls for easier calving; direct and daughters. Calving ease direct identifies bulls whose progeny will be born more easily (i.e. the genetic elements relating to calf size). Calving ease daughters identifies bulls whose female progeny will calve easily (i.e. the genetic elements relating to pelvis size). It’s important to use EBVs that will have a positive impact on calving ease. You can also use other EBVs such as gestation length and birth weight to minimise the risk of calving problems. Body condition scoring (BCS) and nutrition are also important when it comes to calving ease. Maintaining the correct weight of the animal throughout the year will help prevent calving issues, plus over feeding is a waste of money. BCS is easy to do and gives a good guide as to how well the herd is performing. If heifers experience a difficult calving, it has a knock-on effect on the overall health of the animal, including a delayed return to cyclicity and higher chance of disease such as retained foetal membrane or mastitis – so there are other health benefits to be gained by the farmer by making these decisions based on EBVs.

Having bulls fit to function

Advice from the expert:

Four months before bulls go to work, they should have a pre-breeding examination. Nutrition and BCS are pivotal, as overconditioning limits libido and fertility. Get these checks done well in advance of the breeding season to give you time to make management changes if needed.

Get heifers to the bull a week or two earlier than the main cow herd so that they have more chance to get in calf and more time at the end of calving to recover. You put a lot of time and effort into the heifers so giving them a bit more time can be key to having a productive time and keeping them in the same calving block.

A pre-breeding bull examination has three parts: 1 – A physical examination: including assessing lameness, eyes, mouth, nose, teeth, and a general clinical examination. 2 – Genital examination: including measuring scrotal circumference, which is a good indicator of fertility. There is also a rectal examination to check other organs involved in semen production. 3 – Semen analysis: Including taking a semen sample to analyse under the microscope looking at sperm density, the direction or travel and the anatomy of individual sperm.

Things to check when bringing a new bull onto your farm: • Always use bulls from a high health status herd who are on a similar system to yours, to minimise a change to their diet

Maternal Matters Maternal Matters is an AHDB initiative putting a spotlight on the importance of maternal performance in driving profitability in the suckler herd. The series includes; • How maternal performance reduces cost • Using maternal genetics to breed profitable females • Calving heifers at 2 to reduce cost of production • Reducing calf losses • Heifer management for rebreeding success For more information, visit the website https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/ maternal-matters

• Bulls should be isolated for up to four weeks from arrival to avoid the spread of disease • Blood tests should be taken as well as checking their vaccination status. Most vets will test for BVD, IBR, Johnes and leptospirosis • Test for parasites and treat if necessary • Look at the bull in more detail to make sure they are right for your system

EBVs in action We took a look at Sam’s on farm records to see how his bull’s performance compares to their EBVs. The below table shows data for four of Sam’s Angus bulls that have Breedplan EBVs published. Using weaning weight as an example, we can see that the average progeny performance of Sam’s bulls reflects their EBV values for this trait. Average progeny weaning weight (kg)

Weaning weight EBV (kg)

Breed benchmark

262.5

Top 20%

Penguin Tango Boy

260

Top 55%

Melview Red Titan

240.5

Top 75%

236

Top 99%

Bull Lockerley Knight

Ashton Elmer

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

NBA Beef Expo Triumphs for British Beef Industry After a three year wait, the UK’s largest technical beef event, NBA Beef Expo, returned this year with a record turnout of spectators.

eld at Darlington Farmers Auction Mart (DFAM), the National Beef Association’s Beef Expo 2022 was a record-breaking show with around 6,000 visitors through the gates. Bringing together the very best in British commercial and pedigree cattle, equipment, groundbreaking developments and show classes for everyone involved in the industry. A true celebration and exploration of everything the British beef industry has to offer, the event started on Friday 27th May with over 150 people undertaking the two farm tours at South Farm, Cornsay, and Bracken House Farm, Melsonby. The Suddes family have farmed South Farm for over 100 years where they have a herd of 120 pedigree Limousin cows. The Richardson’s have been at Bracken House since 1916 and finish between six and seven hundred cattle a year. The weather was kind, and everyone learnt a great deal from these exemplary farms. Saturday saw beef farmers travel the length and breadth of the UK to gather at DFAM for the National Commercial Cattle Show which featured over 120 head of cattle across 16 classes and four Championships. Expertly judged by Welsh duo Bryn Lloyd and Dafydd Lewis.

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Overall Supreme Champion was awarded to B&L Wilkinson, from Leyburn North Yorkshire for their home bred Limousin Heifer Maggie, shown by 22-year-old Beth Wilkinson. The reserve Supreme animal was exhibited by Stewart and Lindsay Bett from

Stirling, Scotland and bred by W P Hughes, Anglesey. The Baby Beef Champion was a June 2021 exhibitor bred heifer from Edwards Brothers, Corwen, Denbighshire, Wales. The Baby Beef Reserve Champion was a June 2021

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW heifer bred by P & A Jarman, from Cumbria and exhibited by Andrew Ewing from Annan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The Champion Young Handler was Amy Vance, aged 14 from Whithorn, Newton Stewart, Scotland. The reserve Champion Young Handler was Orlena Henderson, aged 17, from County Durham, England. Commenting on his selection, Bryn said:

“There was not a lot of difference between the two – both are excellent heifers. Both have great style and exceptional tops and correctness, however, as soon as I saw the winner, I just thought it can’t get better than this.” This year, the Ghyll House Perpetual Trophy was awarded for the first time to the Overall Supreme Champion in memory of Hannah Brown. On being awarded Overall Supreme Champion, Beth said: “To win like this at Beef Expo is just amazing, especially with a homebred animal. This is our first show of the season, so we’ve set the bar high!” No NBA Beef Expo is complete without pride in excellence and, in addition to the phenomenal livestock showcased by pedigree and commercial breeders, there were demonstrations, commercial trade stands and breed society stands. The Best Breed Society Stand award was presented to Wagyu, ForFarmers was awarded Best Indoor Trade Stand, and Glendale Engineering scooped Best Outdoor Trade Stand. The series of four seminars included presentations from several world leading experts, including Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, who discussed the importance of electronic identification and traceability for the beef industry, and the role the Livestock Information Service (LIS) will have in endemic disease control. John Powell Head of Agriculture Sectors Team at Defra gave an overview of the changes in agricultural policy in England and Alice Stanton Professor of Cardiovascular Pharmacology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and Director of Human Health at Devenish Nutrition, discussed how much red meat is good for human health, and the importance of transparent evidence-based health metrics.

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

Discussing the day’s successes, NBA Chief Executive, Neil Shand said:

“We’ve waited three years for this event, and it most definitely exceeded all our expectations. I am overwhelmed by the support from exhibitors, sponsors, and the local farming community. To see how far people have travelled to be part of our event today is just incredible, so thank you.

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

“Once again, this event is testament to the strength and resilience of the British beef industry. Today, under one roof, we have had a number of world leaders speaking to our breeders and producers to help them secure the future of our industry and these seminars have certainly created much discussion and debate. The trade stands have been busy throughout the day and of course for many, the cattle show was as expected truly outstanding, and a showcase of some of the very best of British Beef cattle and of course congratulations must go to the overall of Champions of Champions the Wilkinson family for their homebred heifer Maggie.” One highlight of the day was the Young Handler Championship which was won by Amy Vance from Newton Stewart. Reserve was awarded to Orlena Henderson. Judge Dafydd Lewis took a somewhat different approach by asking the two finalists to swap animals. This posed a slightly different challenge and required both handlers to put all their skills to the test. Amy was described as confident in the ring as well as in her handling and caught the eye of the judges from entering the ring. With all hosted by DFAM, the new state-ofthe-art exhibition centre provided a perfect venue for Beef Expo. Rounding up the event, Mark Dent, Chairman for DFAM, said: “It has been a privilege to host the 2022 NBA Beef Expo. I am certain everyone will agree that is has been a fantastic day which has really highlighted the importance of these events for bringing people together.

“Special thanks must go to all the staff here at the mart for all their hard work in setting up and making today run so successfully.” SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

Seminars

The aim of the Seminars was to enhance understanding of the subject under discussion, and to help farmers improve their enterprise’s profitability and sustainability. All our speakers are experts in their fields, and we are very grateful for their input and the time they have taken prior to and during the event. A job very well done.

The Future of Agriculture Support From left to right, MP Daniel Zeichner, John Powell the Head of Agriculture Sector team in Defra, Chair, Chris Dodds of the Livestock Auctioneers Association and Will Jackson, Director for Beef & Lamb at AHDB.

Sustainable beef sourcing, production and the benefits for human health From left to right, Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture, Fisheries and Sustainable Sourcing for WM Morrison PLC, Prof. Alice Stanton, Scientist and Director of Human Health, Devenish. Chair, Neil Shand and Prof. Jude Capper, Independent Livestock Sustainability Consultant and ABP Chair of Beef and Sheep at Harper Adams.

Animal Health & Welfare From left to right, Kath Aplin, Ruminant Veterinary Advisor for Boehringer – Ingelheim, Chair, Abi Reader, Sarah Tomlinson, Veterinary Surgeon and Technical Director, TB Advisory Service and Christine Middlemiss the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

Presentations Scott Ferrie – Director of DFAM and Will Burton – Yard Manager of DFAM. Thank you for providing such an amazing venue to hold the Beef Expo and for all your support in the lead up and during the event.

Julie Holmes (NBA) presents Karl Suddes with a gift for him and his family to thank them for hosting a farm tour at their farm in Cornsay.

Julie Holmes (NBA) presents Austin Richardson with a gift for him and his family to thank them for hosting a farm tour at their farm in Melsonby.

Mark Dent – Chairman of DFAM presented the Best Breed Society Karl Suddes presented the Best Indoor Trade Stand award to Stand award to the Wagyu Breeders Association & Warrendale Wagyu. ForFarmers.

Best Outdoor Trade Stand was awarded to Glendale Engineering.

Neil Shand and Julie Holmes presented Julie Sedgewick with a bouquet of flowers to thank her for all her hard work in organising the National Commercial Cattle Competition. SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

Farm Tours

D Richardson & Co. of Low Grange Quarry

n Friday 27th May two farm tours took place. The first farm we went to was D Richardson & Co. of Low Grange Farm, Melsonby. Sitting at 600 feet above sea level, Bracken House Farm near Melsonby in North Yorkshire spans 780 acres, and has been farmed by the Richardson family since 1916. Now run by Austen Richardson and his parents David and Margaret Richardson, the total acreage is split between Bracken House and Low Grange farms, a quarter of a mile apart. Together they are home to a noted and successful commercial cattle enterprise and a commercial sheep enterprise of 220 home-bred and bought in mule ewes. The farm is also home to around 1300 pigs, which are kept on a bed and breakfast contract for a local bacon producer. All cattle purchased are continental breeds mainly Charolais, Limousin, Simmental and British Blue – and each year in the region of 390 bulls are finished. Bulls are bought in January at between 350kg and 400kg and are fed all year, gradually being introduced to an ad-lib system before being sold at 700kg to 750kg liveweight at Darlington Market in October. The Richardsons also buy in around 320 bullocks between eight and twelve months of age, which are fed home-grown silage and fodder beat until they are turned out in April. For the first few weeks outside barley

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is introduced and, thanks to the farm’s excellent grazing, they are finished at grass. During the winter, bullocks are housed in traditional farm buildings and outside corrals, and are sold deadweight through either Woodhead’s or ABP. Managing the cattle enterprise is Robert Longster, who plays a hugely important role in the business. Keen to encourage the next generation, the farm also employs Dan Ford, an agricultural student at Askham Bryan College (York). All cattle are bought in, with about a third sourced from local farmers and the remainder from live marts across the north of England; mainly Darlington, Leyburn,

Barnard Castle and Northallerton. When buying stock, the Richardsons are looking for cattle that can add value. “It’s all about the stockman’s eye,” says David. “Conformation is important, as well as breed and value for money.”

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

Cattle numbers have been increased in recent years to compensate for low grain prices, and as David explains: “It’s a good way of adding value to grain when the price isn’t great.” The farm is home to two Roundhouses with integrated handling systems, which house a total of 390 head of bulls. Bracken House was only the second farm in the UK to build one back in 2004, and they added a second in 2019. The installation of these Roundhouses has improved not only the health of the bulls, but also ease of handling – and therefore safety - too. “Stock never leave the Roundhouses. The integrated handling system means we are able to treat, weigh and footbath, for example, without removing the cattle from the shed,” says Austen. Reducing labour intensity has in turn helped the farm run more efficiently and increased productivity. In terms of health, the Richardson family has seen a significant improvement in their bulls since the installation of the Roundhouses. “The biggest advantage has definitely been welfare. We now get very little pneumonia as the Roundhouses have a chimney effect, so air is well circulated,” Austen adds. “There is a continuous transfer of fresh air, which is vital. This has allowed us to reduce our antibiotic use and has had a significant impact on our vet bills, which are now much lower.” Cattle are all fed the same diet which consists of purchased mixed concentrates, dry wheat and crimped barley from October to February. All forage is home-grown, and the farm also produces approximately 600 large round bales of silage, as well as 30 acres of fodder beet.

The farm is also very fortunate to have 50 acres of tremendous rig and furrow permanent pasture, which allows the family to utilise grazing efficiently for bullocks that are out from April to September. Looking to optimise every opportunity, and having moist land that withstands drought well, they were also able to capitalise on the premiums for fattening Beef Shorthorn cattle throughout the summer of 2021. With 600 acres of arable used to grow wheat and barley for feed (what is not used on farm is sold to local producers), the Richardsons now operate a min-till cultivation system to reduce soil compaction and carbon sequestration. This benefits soil health greatly, and, when used alongside a plough in a crop rotation, gives great yields on the farm’s grade 2 and 3 soil. Further moves towards improving environmental impact have seen the family focus on hedge planting on field margins, and a rewilding programme, which includes the re-establishment of a redundant pond.

they take very seriously. By re-evaluating their system, the aim is to improve the productivity and efficiency of their farm. Taking a long hard look at cash flow, labour and input costs and reducing practices which are machinery heavy, they hope to not only achieve better environmental standards and lower carbon emissions, but to become more profitable too. Mini Seminars from S&A Fabrications, who spoke about the benefits of switching to roundhouses and Gavin Hill and Lesley Wylie from SRUC talked about the challenges of increasing inputs. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go to the Richardson family and their team who delivered an exceptional start to the day.

The family also own and operate Lowgrange Quarry Ltd, which is the result of a diversification project in 2003. They supply pre-stressed concrete panels, ready mix concrete, concrete water and feed troughs and lego blocks which are largely used in the agricultural industry. Facing a number of challenges ahead, the Richardsons, like many others in the agricultural industry, are looking at ways to minimise the damage created by the phasing out of the current BPS scheme, and are seeking new opportunities from the introduction of mid-tier and ELM schemes. “The uncertainty of the new schemes to offer continuity and stability is worrying,” says Austen “Part of the problem comes from the fact that often the people writing the rules have little or no practical understanding.” In a bid to secure the future of their farm and business, the family are now focusing on reducing carbon, which is something

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

Farm Tours

Suddes Family of South Farm, Cornsay

he second farm we visited was South Farm, Cornsay. Brothers Karl and Richard Suddes are fourth generation farmers, with three generations farming alongside each other, including Karl and Richard’s parents, Rob and Janis. Originally a dairy farm, their stock were taken during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak. With an out-of-date parlour, the family decided to go into suckler cows and Limousins were the obvious choice for them. The Cornsay Limousin pedigree herd was established in 2002, and is now the seventh largest pedigree Limousin herd in the country. Karl is also Northeast Limousin Breeders Club Chairman, Northeast representative and Honorary Treasurer of the British Limousin Cattle Society. Sitting at 900ft, the 800-acre unit carries 120 pedigree Limousin cows and five bulls. The herd was originally established through the purchase of 120 heifers and two bulls from France where the breed originated. Herd health is important to the Suddes family who are Johnes risk level 1 and BVD virus monitored-free. “We want cows that can calve themselves, look after their calf and milk well ” says Karl “Limousins are the perfect cow for this and when they are to be culled, they command a high price” All replacements are home-bred, with

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

around 15% being kept. Occasionally, females are bought in from external sources if they are animals that will add value to the herd. Stock bulls are purchased for their bloodline and characteristics., each bull providing a trait that needs to be improved. Karl recently made a joint purchase of Lukeroyal Robin, who they bought for 35,000 guineas with Messrs Watson of Tweeddale Limousins from the February society sale at Carlisle.

“ When I saw him at the mart, he was totally different to anything else there,” explains Karl. “He has a tremendous amount of width, from easy calving lines and two copies of F94L Limousin muscle gene which, with this amount of shape, is very rare.” The best bulls are sold for breeding from home or at sales, including Carlisle and Darlington.

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW “We are looking to sell bulls that are easily calved, quick growing and have plenty of shape” says Karl “that will produce offspring that hits the spec of the butchers, processors and ultimately the consumer.” Bulls not good enough for breeding are kept until finishing at 12-14 months weighing 600-700kg. They are sold through Darlington Mart where a premium price is obtained. The best heifers are retained and most of the remainder are sold for breeding, either at sales or off the farm, with the bottom end being finished and also sold through Darlington. For Karl, who looks after the cattle enterprise, the aim over the last eight years has been to breed better stock and work towards a tighter calving period to suit the needs of the business. Currently calving takes place inside, between the beginning of November and March. “We have used a lot of synchronisation, which allows us to use the best AI Sires and also tighten the calving pattern” The herd are housed during the winter but turned out between May and November. “We only turn cattle out onto a good, plentiful supply of grass,” explains Karl. Alongside the cattle enterprise and pastureland, the farm also has 500 acres of arable, producing wheat, barley, oats, oilseed rape, peas and beans, which is sold off farm. Enough is kept to produce a home-grown blend for the cattle. The calves receive a bought in starter pellet until they are about 4 months old, at which time they move onto the home-made ration which consists of barley, oats, peas, beans and wheat as well as molasses and minerals. The land is farmed using conservation agriculture techniques; everything is established no-till in order to take good care of the soil and reduce inputs. Turning to these methods has enabled the Suddes family to work an additional 400 acres external to the farm on a shared farming basis.

The first shared-farming agreement was set up in 2015 and has worked well as it suits the Suddes’ system. Giving further explanation, Karl says: “The farm at Durham is earlier than ours, so it dovetails seasonally from both a harvesting and drilling perspective. If we hadn’t directly drilled, we wouldn’t have been able to expand. When we started 12 years ago, we got a lot of criticism. However, despite it being a steep learning curve at the start, it has been productive, enabling us to increase our farmed acreage and put us in a position to invest in free-range eggs” The most recent addition to the farm is a 32,000-hen enterprise supplying eggs to Lintz Hall, which, in a short period of time,

has become integral to the enterprise. In terms of the overall farming enterprise, costs are a concern. With the phasing out of the current BPS and introduction of the new ELM and Mid-Tier Environmental Scheme, some land has been put into winter bird feed and a focus on monitoring carbon, renewable energy and working towards selling carbon credits. Mini seminars from Richard Suddes who spoke about carbon auditing and the importance of an accurate calculator and Will Barker from Castle Vets discussed herd health and disease eradication. A massive thank you to the Suddes family for providing us with a fantastic tour.

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

Thanks to our sponsors The national beef association would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters of beef expo 2022. Our sponsors play a vital part in the continuation of the beef expo event and we offer our most sincere thanks for their continued support.

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The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

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2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW

The National Commercial Cattle Show 2022 Results

eef Expo and the National Commercial Cattle show finally went ahead in May at Darlington Farmers Mart, a newly built modern auction mart, many thanks to the mart staff who make it all happen, NCCS stewards, judges, exhibitors and visitors. We had 100 cattle entered from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and it was homebred animals that took both Championships. Baby Beef Champion was

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

from the Edwards family, Corwen, North Wales the reserve was from Andrew Ewing, Annan. Supreme Champion animal was Maggie shown and bred by B & L Wilkinson, Leyburn, North Yorkshire who were also presented with a newly donated trophy in memory of Hannah Brown, by the Richardson and Brown families, The Ghyll House Perpetual Trophy.

2022 BEEF EXPO REVIEW EXHIBITOR BRED IN BOLD NO:

Owner

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

577

O’Kane & Rowlands

2nd

551

3rd

581

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

436

D M Leedham

2nd

497

3rd

529

4th

507

EXHIBITOR BRED IN BOLD

Name of Animal

CLASS 1 - NATIVE STEER OR HEIFER

NO:

Owner

Name of Animal

CLASS 8b - BRITISH BLUE HEIFER

(Continued)

Wilson A Peters

Ava’ Butt

TA & LC Lyon & Son

Starlet

RESULT

WEIGHT

Minnie

3rd

688

Keadyview Livestock

Spot

4th

561

Moralee & Keadyview

Freckle Kicks RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

474

Jennifer Hyslop

Brownie

Black Magic

2nd

461

S & L Bett

Happy Ending

Mudd & Bentley

Blue Mojito

3rd

477

G Rowlands & M Francis

Kayla

Stephen Graham

Razzle Dazzle

4th

414

M & R Barker

Picture Perfect

HS & M Everatt

Reggie

5th

460

A Dickinson & L Powdrill

Miss Money Penny

6th

445

Robin Williamson

Sparkel

7th

475

Neil Slack

Millie Moo

8th

470

M Brannen

Ginger

CLASS 3 - BRITISH BLUE STEER

CLASS 4a - LIMOUSIN STEER

CLASS 9a- LIMOUSIN HEIFER

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

520

JM & SM Rowlands

Mr Bond

2nd

421

Andrew Ewing

Jacko

3rd

501

G Rowlands & M Francis

Josh

RESULT

WEIGHT

4th

500

A G Laws

Banksy

1st

519

David Hall

Shakira

5th

508

R D Anderson

Tyrone

2nd

526

B & L Wilkinson

Hightown Sarah

6th

498

A Dickinson & L Powdrill

Gold Finger

3rd

506

Andrew Ewing

Lottie

4th

492

JM & SM Rowlands

Smurf

5th

512

Edwards Brothers

Mystyle Regina

CLASS 4b - LIMOUSIN STEER

CLASS 9b - LIMOUSIN HEIFER

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

638

JM & SM Priestley

Captain Tom

6th

515

Edwards Brothers

Pandemic Princess

2nd

569

A & E Vance

Hoopla

7th

512

M & R Barker

Simply Red

3rd

580

Stephen Graham

Tiddly Winks

8th

486

Elliw Roberts

Galway Girl

4th

560

Mudd & Bentley

Whiskey Sour

5th

538

HS & M Everatt

Denis

RESULT

WEIGHT

6th

524

J H Craggs & Miss L Heslop

Billy Boy

1st

567

B & L Wilkinson

Maggie

7th

524

G W Amos

Del Boy

2nd

544

S & L Bett

Sexy Spice

3rd

538

TA & LC Lyon & Son

Sparkle

CHAMPION STEER NO 6 - D M LEEDHAM - BLACK MAGIC

4th

533

P & B Robson

Peachy

RESERVE CHAMPION STEER NO 20 - JM & SM PRIESTLEY - CAPTAIN TOM

5th

557

Mr & Mrs M Alford

Peace Not War

6th

538

J H Craggs & Miss L Heslop

Skyfall

7th

561

T & J Gratton

Malibo

8th

550

D M Leedham

Sassy Lass

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

638

CLASS 5 - BABY BEEF STEER

CLASS 9c - LIMOUSIN HEIFER

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

346

G H & A H Roberts

Custard Cream

2nd

408

G W Amos

Tiny Dancer

RESULT

WEIGHT

Dufton, Small, Wilkinson

Black Magic

1st

349

Amy Wilson

She’s A Belter

2nd

624

Edwards Brothers

Westpit Revolution

2nd

370

Elliw Roberts

Oh My God

3rd

607

JM & SM Rowlands

Something Special

3rd

271

W P Hughes & Son

Hot Spice

4th

713

A & E Vance

Dam She’s Glam

4th

311

TA & LC Lyon & Son

Blossom

5th

622

JM & SM Rowlands

Poppy

5th

226

TA & LC Lyon & Son

Peach

6th

648

JM & SM Priestley

Fancy Pants

6th

246

D M Leedham

Silverriver Hotshot

7th

648

Price and Rogers

Daphne

8th

650

J L Marks

Candy Cone

CLASS 6a - BABY BEEF HEIFER

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

385

Edwards Brothers

Baby Guiness

2nd

415

Andrew Ewing

Penny

3rd

407

B & L Wilkinson

Ivyfarm Sienna

4th

405

Amy Wilson

Dam She’s Glam

5th

388

DS Townend & NM Midgley

Rumour Has It

6th

401

G W Amos

Too Hot Too Trot

CLASS 9d - LIMOUSIN HEIFER

CLASS 6b - BABY BEEF HEIFER CHAMPION HEIFER NO 91 - B & L WILKINSON - MAGGIE RESERVE CHAMPION HEIFER NO 55 - S & L BETT - SEXY SPICE SUPREME CHAMPION - B & L WILKINSON - NO 91 RESERVE SUPREME CHAMPION NO 55 - S & L BETT - SEXY SPICE RESULT

CLASS 10a - YOUNG HANDLER

CHAMPION BABY BEEF NO 30 - EDWARDS BROTHERS - BABY GUINESS

1st

Amy Vance (14)

Hoopla

RESERVE CHAMPION BABY BEEF - ANDREW EWING - PENNY

2nd

Elizabeth Haughan (14)

Millie Moo

3rd

Matthew Bentley (14)

Blue Mojito

4th

Michael Brannen (14)

Ginger

5th

Lucy Heslop (16)

Billy Boy

RESULT

WEIGHT

CLASS 7 - ANY OTHER CONTINENTAL

1st

470

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

503

Amy Wilson

Black Magic

1st

101

Orlena Henderson (17)

Peachy

2nd

481

J L Marks

Liqourice

2nd

102

Rachael Graham (18)

Tiddly Winks

3rd

500

R D Anderson

Dorrie

3rd

100

Harry Asquith (17)

Sparkel

4th

428

T & J Gratton

Mystique

RESULT

WEIGHT

1st

504

SA & BE Williams

Black Beauty

2nd

505

Neil Slack

TikTok

Mudd & Bentley

Champagne To Go

CLASS 8a - BRITISH BLUE HEIFER

RESULT

CLASS 10b - YOUNG HANDLER

CHAMPION YOUNG HANDLER NO 98 - AMY VANCE - HOOPLA CLASS 8b - BRITISH BLUE HEIFER

RESERVE CHAMPION YOUNG HANDLER NO 101 - ORLENA HENDERSON - PEACHY

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Industry News

The British Livestock sector has benefited from a strong presence at EuroTier events held over many years with a dynamic joint industry stand supported by cattle, sheep and pig societies alongside breeding and other associated companies. Once again there will be a ‘British Livestock Pavilion’ at EuroTier, Hannover, Germany, Tuesday 15th – Friday 18th November 2022

resources including meeting area, reception desk for promotional materials, display graphic, joint British Livestock brochure, interpreter and light refreshments. Stand Managers are Rob Grinnall, UK Export Certification Partnership, and Richard Saunders representing the British Livestock Genetics Consortium.

Held every two years, this is the world’s largest indoor livestock exhibition boasting 150,000+ visitors and over 2,300 exhibitors – half of whom are international companies. As such, a strong UK presence at EuroTier allows British farming and breeding organisations to promote themselves on the global stage. The British Livestock Pavilion provides a platform for promoting our sector under one roof. Participating companies benefit from shared

If you would like any further information regarding participation, whether as part of the stand or as a visitor to the show, please email richardsaunders1965@yahoo.co.uk. www.eurotier.com

Guiding Theme 2022

TR ANSFORMING ANIMAL FARMING

2022 | 15 – 18 NOVEMBER | HANOVER, GERMANY THE WORLD’S LEADING TRADE FAIR www.eurotier.com including

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

ET22_87,5x128_EN.indd 1

21.06.22 09:13

Industry News

Date for your diary…

SOUTHWEST SUSTAINABLE FARMING EVENT LAUNCHED A new one-day technical and demonstration event in the Southwest will provide grassland farmers with the opportunity to explore how regenerative farming techniques can exploit the advantages of grassland farming to develop systems that are fit for the future and truly sustainable.

razewell takes place on Thursday 22nd September 2022 at Higher Thornton Farm, Kenn, Exeter EX6 7XH, from 9am -5pm by kind permission of host farmers Chris and Sarah Berry.

There will be a mix of demonstration plots and a working Bokashi manure composting system. Technical stands will include British Grassland Society, Kingshay, IGER Rothampstead, and Innovation for Agriculture.

“Grazewell will present a practical view of sustainability that is based on meeting three tests,” comments event chairperson Bill Harper.

Visitors will be able to learn about the latest practical support from a wide selection of trade stands including genetics businesses, feed companies, forage seed providers and veterinary practices among others.

“The first is whether a system provide profitability for the farm. Secondly, does it reduce the levels of Green House Gases and other emissions, and finally, does the farm system meet the social requirements of the people and the community involved?”

With an emphasis on practicality, the event will be structured into work area pods looking at different aspects affecting sustainable farming. These include soil health, grass species selection, grassland husbandry including infrastructure, slurry and farmyard manure treatments, breeding and genetics, animal health, and carbon foot printing.

There will be a full programme of keynote speakers. Professor John Gilliland will describe progress in Northern Ireland on Soil Organic Carbon mapping and on large scale trial results achieved using mixed swards. Eminent soil scientist Professor Carl Ritz, from Nottingham University will describe what is happening in our soils and how we can improve soil health. Professor Elizabeth Stockdale, CEO of NIAB and the incoming president of the British Grassland Society, will explore the interactions between grass species, the soil and livestock. More speakers will be added before the event. There will be a farmers panel of outstanding young practitioners who are well advanced in their journey towards a more sustainable business and can offer an honest view of what is required. There will also be species specific areas with National Sheep Association SW leading the sheep section. The National Beef

Association will run the Beef area while the NFU are hosting the Dairy Area. Finally there will be an area looking at Countryside Stewardship schemes and Natural/ Environmental Capital values. Mr Harper comments: “The aim is to draw together experts and suppliers across the whole sphere of regenerative and sustainable farming and help farmers start on the journey to develop businesses that are fit for the future.”

“The Grazewell event is the start of an on-going initiative to help farmers improve the resilience of their business by joining with likeminded farmers to share ideas and experiences through our social media platforms. Entry is £14 on the gate or £12 pre-booked. Admission is free to members of YFC and agriculture students. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www. facebook.com/grazewellevent

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Industry News

Beef in USA by John Wilkes and Dr Phil Hadley, AHDB

UK beef exports to the US arrived in October 2020 after BSE crisis two decades ago put a halt to them. Publication of the US Final BSE rule in 2013 allowed beef exports from countries, including the UK, previously excluded due to fears of BSE. AHDB estimates the market is worth £66m in the first five years of trade, with 2021 delivering an impressive £11m from a standing start.

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Industry News

ighly supportive of the legislation, the American beef industry worked together with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make certain The Final Rule made the statute book. Former National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Scott George said at the time: “The basis of these import regulations, set on internationally accepted science and the OIE guidelines, is critical in showing that the U.S. is committed to ensuring trade, unfettered by protectionist motivations, and sends a clear message to our trading partners of the value we place on fair trade. These regulations show that cattlemen and women not only talk about market access, but that we stand behind it.” UK exporters compete with other countries for a share in the lucrative US market – some 1.5 million mt of imported beef. Canada supplies 25%, Australia and Mexico each supply 20%, New Zealand 15% and Brazil 7%. Most of the imported beef is fresh boneless trimmings to be used in processed products like ground beef for burgers. Access to the US market by the UK is predicated on availability of the 65,000 mt Other Country specific beef quota. Countries under this classification include Ireland, Brazil, and some in Central America. Once this quota is reached, additional imports are subject to a 26.4% tariff for the balance of the year.

“The change in market dynamics and quota usage rate in Q1 of 2022 has seen our modest but important and growing export of UK beef to the US manufacturing sector significantly impacted. With a 26.4% tariff on all exports outside of the quota limit, our sector simply cannot provide our quality beef at a commercially viable price. “This is hugely disappointing for the whole supply chain having worked so hard to achieve access for the commercial trade to be impacted by such circumstances”.

As a result of restricted access for Brazilian beef into China in 2021, early 2022 saw a switch of focus to the US market and unprecedented quota usage rate by Brazil alone of 50,000T by Q1 2022 under the “other country” designation.

The increase in export activity by Brazil prompted condemnation from the NCBA which now denounces beef from Brazil based on animal health and food safety concerns. A press release dated 11 April 2022 by NCBA implores US Secretary Vilsack to end fresh beef imports from Brazil and demand a thorough audit of Brazil’s “animal health and food safety system, to ensure the safety of the US cattle herd”. NCBA contends “a temporary tariff increase may discourage further imports from Brazil, but it does not address the underlying concern over Brazil’s repeated failure to adhere to international animal health and food safety standards”.

Dr Phil Hadley, AHDB International Market Development Director said:

Ethan Lane, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs maintains Brazil has

However, by late March 2022, the steady flow of UK export came to a halt as the Other Country quota was fulfilled principally as a result of heavy utilsation by the Brazilians.

a long history of not reporting BSE cases “in a timely manner”. Lane voiced frustration that, “our science-based recommendations met with no notable response by the U.S. Department of Agriculture”. He added, “as beef imports from Brazil continue to rise, we urge USDA to reconsider their stance on Brazilian beef and take necessary action to safeguard the integrity of the entire U.S. food supply chain”. It is uncertain if US Secretary Vilsack is willing to propose a Brazilian beef ban. Other beef exporters, including the UK, would surely benefit if such restrictions were to be put into effect. Dr Hadley added:

“Following our approval for UK beef exports to the US and first full year sales of £11m, we have ambitions to continue to grow this trade. However, the current market conditions and limited ‘other country’ quota arrangements mean that this is no longer a realistic proposition, and we hope a solution can be found to facilitate this business for the longer term.”

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

NBA Regional Round-ups

REGIONAL COUNCIL CONTACTS NORTHERN William Walton - Chairman Northumberland, NE47 Email: fay.penpeugh@hotmail.com

SOUTH WEST Robert Venner - Chairman Email: robert.venner@gth.net Phoebe Hart - Secretary Tel: 07309 666895 Email: phoebe.hart@ molevalleyfarmers.com

s p u d n Rou

WALES Contact Head Office Tel: 01434 601005

NORTHERN IRELAND Stephen Heenan - Chairman County Down, BT30 8RT Tel: 07889 159496 Email: stephenheenan63@yahoo.co.uk

SCOTLAND David Barron - Chairman Email: nicola.barron@btinternet.com Duncan Todd - Secretary Kilmarnock KA3 2TN Tel: 07734 812704 Email: duncan@agment.co.uk

NOT ALREADY A MEMBER? JOIN THE NATIONAL BEEF ASSOCIATION TODAY SEE THE LAST PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A MEMBERSHIP FORM. STUDENT MEMBERSHIP ONLY £40

NBA Regional

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Scottish Beef Association - Paul Ross The Scottish Beef Association (SBA) has a new chairman. Orkney farmer Paul Ross has taken over the position from Aberdeenshire producer David Barron whose term had expired but will now serve as vice-chairman. Mr Ross farms at Lenahowe, Sandwick on the Orkney Mainland and keeps 105 suckler cows and 100 ewes. He and his wife Fiona also have a diversified tourism business based around two self-catering lodges. The beef herd is made up of Salers and Simmental cross cows put to Simmental, Salers or Charolais sires. Around 20 cows calve in November and December and the rest in the spring. Bull calves are mostly kept entire and finished on the farm. Charolais sired animals are however normally sold as stores. Mr Ross said: “I am looking forward to leading the SBA even though it is a time of huge uncertainty. There will be a new agricultural support scheme to cope with before long as well as a number of environmental schemes.” “It also seems that social media has meat production in its sights, and we have to become better at responding to the criticism. Respected scientists are now

saying that well managed grass can store as much carbon as trees, and we should be helping to spread that message. “Beyond that the huge challenge is to keep cow numbers up. Our end-product is in demand, which is great, but our costs are now very high. Labour is also a major issue especially for our processor customers.” Mr Barron, who farms at Nether Aden, Mintlaw said: “I wish Paul all the best in the chair. He already has a great track record of fighting the corner for primary producers.” Neil Wilson, the chief executive of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS), Ronnie Mackie of the Ross Farm at Madderty and John Cameron, Balbuthie, Leven have all been re-appointed to the SBA board.

Industry News

New Conference Targets Youngstock Performance A

s costs rise and we all strive to make farming systems more sustainable it is important that we regularly review our systems to ensure we are maximising the potential and ensuring the highest possible standards of animal health and welfare. To properly understand how a system is performing, you need information. This information can then be used to identify areas of potential improvement or simply to check that you are on target for your own specific goals. In youngstock rearing, daily live weight gain (DLWG) is one of the most important indicators of performance and getting it right is essential for long-term performance and the profitability of your business. Problems with growth rates need to be identified quickly for them to be rectified and for you to still achieve these targets; this can only happen if some form of monitoring for DLWG is in place. Monitoring of growth can be achieved in a number of ways. The gold standard would be to weigh the animals using a set of scales, but weightapes or measuring an animal’s height can be used as an alternative. Work out a monitoring programme that fits with your system; weighing can be timed to coincide with other routine procedures (worming, vaccination etc) and measuring just a few times through the rearing phase will provide enough information to ensure you are on target. Your vet or nutritionist will be able to provide you with advice on the weights/ sizes you should be aiming for at

different stages, as this will be specific to your farm and dependent on the breed and confirmation of your stock.

The first National Youngstock Conference took place on 27th July 2022 at Harper Adams University.

As well as monitoring growth it is important to ensure you are aware of any disease problems on your farm. Keep a record of any cases of disease along with any losses.

This new event was a total sell out and provided attendees with up-to-date practical advice on all aspects of youngstock rearing. The programme featured an exciting selection of talks and seminars looking at all aspects of calf rearing.

Speak to your vet and set benchmarks for the number of times you have to treat common conditions such as pneumonia and scours; this will give you valuable information on what diseases are causing the most problems on your unit. If an animal does die, a post-mortem can provide valuable information on going disease issues on the farm which can be used to potentially prevent future loses.

Setting targets for growth rates and the number of cases of diseases, and regularly checking them, is an essential part of ensuring the performance of your calves. The use of recording systems will enable you to rapidly identify emerging problems and take steps to minimise their impact.

From genomics and breeding management, through colostrum and the management of the calf in the first few weeks of life, to weaning management and nutrition during the growing phase there were presentations from key industry figures on all these areas. The conference also addressed some of the key disease challenges that we see on farm including pneumonia, coccidiosis, cryptosporidiosis and looked at some of the key tools for managing these including fluid therapy, biosecurity, and hygiene. Through all the topics, the presentations provided practical solutions to addressing key industry challenges such as sustainability and the responsible use of medicines whilst promoting best practice and the highest standards of animal welfare. For further information checkout https://www.cowmanagement.co.uk/ youngstockconference where you will be able to find recordings of the lectures and information on future events.

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Parasite Watch | Sioned Timothy

h c t a W e t i Paras Sioned Timothy

Technical Services Manager, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

Manage the mid-season rise in parasites

oung cattle are at risk from the ‘mid-summer rise’ in parasite larvae on pasture unless effective control strategies, including pasture management, monitoring and targeted treatment if required, have been implemented.

Pooled faecal egg counts during the first few months of the grazing season can help you to monitor the level of parasite infectivity on pasture, and the results can form part of any recommendation by your vet or SQP to worm cattle, or move them to alternative grazing for the remainder of the season,

This increase in parasite infectivity can occur from mid-July and lead to significant worm burdens. The impact can include slower growth, longer finishing times, impaired fertility in heifers, and an overall reduction in productivity and profitability.

It’s important to remember that unlike in sheep, FECs alone are not useful in determining worm burden levels in individual or groups of cattle.

Youngstock with little or no immunity to gutworms may also experience clinical disease in the form of gastroenteritis, or ‘worm scours’ which can lead to significant weight loss.

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Moving cattle to lower-risk pastures in the mid-summer, such as fields that have been used for hay or silage, can lessen the need for worming, but animals should still be monitored. Focus wormer treatments on animals that are not meeting DLWG targets and leave

better performing animals untreated, since where nutrition is adequate, and in the absence of other disease, worms are the most likely cause of missed growth targets. For more information, talk to your vet or SQP, or visit www.beattheparasites.com.

An educational service from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd (“BI”). Further information available from BI, RG12 8YS, UK. The steerhead logo is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health France SCS, used under licence. ©2022. All rights reserved. Date of preparation: May 2022. UIMSP-0042-2022. Use Medicines Responsibly.

Industry News

Automatic gearbox can save up to 30% on fuel T he Shifttronic diet feeder gearbox shifts up or down to achieve the most suitable auger speed depending on the weight setting when loading or discharging, without your having to lift a finger. Because the augers always operate at optimum speed, they can mix feed components at peak efficiency. This can save up to 30% on fuel.

A big advantage of weight-based shifting is that the shifting point can be set very accurately. For example high speed mixing for processing haylage. As soon as the first bucket of corn silage is loaded the Shifttronic automatically shifts down in order to prevent over-mixing and to minimize diesel usage and wear. The Shifttronic makes sure the most effective mixing speed is used, but only when necessary. During feeding the Shifttronic shifts up on the

go. Increasing auger speed however only makes sense when the level of feed is below the discharge opening. As that weight is different from a milk cow ration compared to for e.g. a heifer ration, the shifting point can be set specifically for up to 5 different rations. Preventing unnecessary wear and diesel usage in return.

Cees: “The augers start off at high speed, but slow down soon after. When processing coarse feed for the dry cows, however, the mixer wagon continues at the higher speed for longer. What’s more, the feed gets evenly mixed very rapidly.”

Fuel costs dropped Dairy farmer Cees Middelweerd only needs 10 litres of diesel an hour to run his 24 m3 mixer wagon. Since using the Shifttronic, his fuel costs have dropped by an impressive 25%. He mixes up two loads a day to feed his herd of 350 milk cows, plus another two loads every third day for his 220 heifers. That means the mixer wagon must process about 130 tonnes of feed each week, totalling 1,000 operating hours annually.

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Industry News

Help ‘cultivate’ agriculture and horticulture’s new skills and careers platform Agriculture and horticulture’s new home of skills and careers, TIAH, is looking to recruit English farmers and growers to test and trial its services, before formally launching its online platform to the industry in 2023. What is TIAH and why is it needed?

David Fursdon

Stephen Jacob

David Fursdon, chair of TIAH (The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture) explains that the professional body aims to support people and businesses to fulfil their potential and help the industry thrive. “Agriculture and horticulture are undergoing huge changes. As farmers and growers aim to ensure their businesses are profitable and environmentally sustainable, it’s essential that the industry has a workforce that is fit for the future,” he says. “Continued professional development (CPD) will therefore be key if individuals and businesses are to enhance their existing skills, and in many cases, acquire new ones, to help them successfully navigate the changing landscape. However, the industry’s current fragmented approach to skills and training needs to change.”

Online platform In light of this, TIAH is developing an online platform that will bring together existing and new training opportunities from across the industry. “We’re not looking to replace what’s already in existence,” notes Mr Fursdon. “Instead, we’re looking to work closely with our partners across the industry to bring everything together into one central hub. The aim is that we’ll make skills and career development more accessible to all,” he adds. “The system will sign-post users to relevant training courses and information, depending on their aspirations. This will hopefully make everyone’s life easier, in terms of understanding what skills are needed

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

for progression, and where they can be acquired.” Mr Fursdon highlights that the digital platform will also provide independent records and collate personal achievements. “Where required, this information can be used to demonstrate compliance and will also help to simplify audits and record keeping across the industry.”

Pilot scheme Before making the online platform available to the wider industry in 2023, TIAH is launching a pilot scheme to give farmers and growers the opportunity to help ‘cultivate’ the system its final stages. “While there is a clear need for such a service, we want to ensure that it’s intuitive to use and that the information available supports professional development in a simple yet practical way,” explains Mr Fursdon.

opportunity to shape the future of agricultural and horticultural skills and careers services, while helping to safeguard the future of the industry. “All that we ask of our ‘TIAH Cultivators’ is a small-time commitment – approximately 20 minutes every two weeks – to test, review and feedback on various elements of the platform. In return, participants will be entered into a monthly prize draw,” says Mr Fursdon. You can find out more about the pilot scheme and sign up to become a ‘TIAH Cultivator’ here: https://tiah.org/tiahcultivators/ . Anyone who has any further questions should contact Tess Howe, TIAH’s membership and business manager on 0330 174 4290/ 07779 321078 or info@ tiah.org. Stephen Jacob, BASIS chief executive officer, encourages farmers and growers to get involved in the pilot scheme.

“We’re therefore looking to recruit active farmers and growers from across England to become ‘TIAH Cultivators’, who can help us test the system this summer.”

“TIAH wants to ensure that its products and services are built for farmers and growers, by farmers and growers, and this is your chance to have your say and make a difference.”

By signing up to take part in the pilot scheme, individuals will have the unique

To find out more about TIAH, visit: https:// tiah.org/

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SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Industry News

Supporting each other in times of adversity Somerset beef farmer, James Winslade has faced more than his share of stresses over the years. However, the experience of past hardships has given him greater insight into how farming charity RABI, and increasingly the wider agricultural community, pull together to provide support on a regular basis not just in times of difficulty.

“U

The research identified that over a third of farming people in England and Wales are probably or possibly depressed, with livestock farmers amongst those most at risk of poor mental wellbeing.

Since then, Mr Winslade has had time to reflect on these events, which he says have taught him the importance of having an open dialogue with fellow farmers to support better mental wellbeing.

The survey also found that half of beef farmers are in a household where 75% - 100% of their income is derived from agriculture. As subsidy and payment scheme changes bring increased uncertainty, the research evidenced for the first time the strong link between the financial health of farming businesses and the wellbeing of the farmers and their families operating them.

npredictability has always been part of the job,” says Mr Winslade, who first reached out to RABI following the devastating 2014 floods in Somerset. The extreme weather left his farm eight feet under water, forcing him to evacuate his family and 500 beef cattle from West Yeo Farm, near Bridgwater.

“When you open up to others, you realise you aren’t on your own with the stresses you’re facing,” he says. “We all experience stress and it helps to talk. When you feel overwhelmed, or worried about your business, ring a friend or reach out to RABI for professional support – there’s always someone who will listen.

In response to the survey findings, RABI has launched several new professionally supported services, including free, confidential in-person counselling.

“None of us can ignore the many challenges currently facing farmers,” he adds.

Caron Whaley, RABI’s director of services says; “Farming can be tough and much as we might like to believe otherwise, none of us are invincible. For far too many people, accessing support still doesn’t feel like the positive step forward that it should.

RABI’s ground-breaking 2021 Big Farming Survey shone a light on the scale of pressures and stresses that farmers face, and the impact these challenges can have on their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as the health of their farm businesses.

“This is best described in the words of a recent recipient of RABI’s in-person counselling who told us; ‘I feel like a different person. I do not feel as negative and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have realised that life is worth

James Winslade

RABI Conference May 22 Caron Whaley

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

living. I have been brought back from the edge. The first step is so wobbly but if you can just take that first, difficult wobbly step well… it’s been amazing.’” Wherever you are and whatever issues you face, RABI’s team and many of those they’ve supported are clear about one thing - talking can really help. “I’m in a WhatsApp group with farming friends where we all share our woes. It’s often light-hearted, but we also give each other advice,” Mr Winslade says. “When you open up to others, and hear what they’re going through, you realise you aren’t on your own with the stresses you’re facing and there is support available. There are some fantastic support organisations out there so do reach out.” If you, or anyone you know could benefit from talking to a professional, support is available round the clock. The simple first step is to call RABI’s free, confidential 24/7 helpline on 0800 188 4444. Clinical or GP referrals are not necessary, with counsellors responding to initial requests for support usually within 24 hours. Support is also available via RABI’s free online wellbeing platform: https://www. qwell.io/rabi

The National Beef Association

m National Beef Association : www.nationalbeefassociation.co eefassociation.com Website 5JG Tel: 01434 601005 Email: info@nationalb New Road, Leamington Spa, CV32 Concorde House, 24 Warwick Address: National Beef Association,

Mr T Davie, Director General, BBC 10.04.21 Dear Mr Davie,

attempts to persuade the general to new depths with their latest to This week has seen the BBC stoop but quite another to attempt It is one thing to influence adults, them public away from eating meat. and growth, without providing could be harmful to their health direct children in a way that

THE ONLY ORGANISATION FIGHTING TO PROTECT THE BEEF INDUSTRY.

with both sides of a story.

ntally friendly’ by adhering encourages children to be ‘environme that eating The new Blue Peter ‘green’ badge meat. This absolutely implies use less plastic and not to eat red meat to three tasks; turn off lights, - of all origins, but especially acceptable thing to do. Meat meat is not an environmentally scientifically established to provide vitamins and minerals, and is of these nutrients that - is a valuable source of protein, Many children. of growth to development and Blue nutrients which are essential in any other food source. The naturally found be cannot are vital to a healthy food balance meat without giving any positive encourage children not to eat Peter remit appears to be to to local industry or to countryside of meat, either to their health, balanced view on the benefits or other plant food - and their view on how fruit, vegetables type of this that management, or any negative nsible incomprehe impact the environment. It is Whilst we corresponding air miles - might , and at worst irresponsible. which are at best unbalanced it is programme should offer views tally aware than the previous, needs to be more environmen accept that the next generation in this campaign. one side of a story is presented wholly unacceptable that only with pandemic during the BBC has supported home schooling adequate provide to Whilst we appreciate that the miserably failed have feel that in this instance you educational programmes, we balance. from these valuable food sources the diet of young children away the Beef Blue Peter’s attempts to influence and programme makers within agendas by some journalists licence is a continuation of personal held by the average television which are far from the views Bashing Corporation; agendas took your position last the public interest. When you payer in the UK, and do not represent for impartiality where bias has activists t that the BBC would be September, you made a commitmen not be working at the should s campaigner who were partisan degree of no place, and warned that staff your organisation has a high not the case. It appears that corporation. This is patently reporting is plain for all to see. agenda, and the imbalance in journalists with a personal food of our concerns regarding a lack to discuss with you in person can be these how I would appreciate the opportunity to as ideas some tal reporting and offer agenda. impartiality within your environmen by the truth, not a particular all, it is important to be guided addressed in the future. After Yours sincerely, Neil Shand Chief Executive Officer, National Beef Association

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SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Industry News

From Brian Richardson – Head of Agriculture Virgin Money

Where’s the Beef!

rexit, Covid, national food strategy, Net Zero, and Agri inflation have all been potential challenges for the beef sector and its ability to remain successful. For many years pre-Brexit we had a fairly benign policy that provided some ups and downs, but generally allowed livestock producers a roadmap to work to. Brexit has meant a fresh look by Government at shaping agricultural policy and, in England at least, a move to more targeted support payments. These are focused on farms undertaking environmental measures to support the wider Government in meeting its Net Zero targets. The pandemic meant food suppliers were focussed on keeping shelves stocked and the farming industry did a great job in adapting how it operated. British beef farmers were very much a part of that. It was a reminder that food should not be taken for granted and it centred on the importance of supply chains and the work that goes into getting food on the plate. The war in Ukraine has highlighted supply concerns with a significant proportion of the World’s grain stocks not able to be exported. Again, a real shock to the system and forcing Governments and individuals to think about where their food comes from and ultimately, how much it should cost. Post-Brexit, farmers face the biggest changes in policy for 50 years against a background of Net Zero and the Carbon directives, so this rebalancing of the debate around food has come at an opportune time. The fact much of this policy in England is still being refined and developed is helpful as lessons learnt over the fragility of food supply and its value can be built into future policy. As part of this, major food retailers are having to consider more than just the price. In response to Henry Dimbleby’s food strategy report, the Government has just launched its strategy paper for food supply.

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

While light on specific action, it does set a balanced tone between environmental needs and food production with a focus on maintaining sensible levels of homeproduced food through productive and efficient agricultural practices. It has scaled back ambitions on certain areas and there has been a refocusing on support spending, with large sums earmarked to pay for rewilding diverted back into the more accessible areas. This is welcome news for the wider industry but there are still big support payment changes to come, which for many will significantly affect their income.

There are also the challenges of climate change and the ongoing focus on agriculture to reduce emissions. The beef sector needs to play its part, not only in adapting to the new support arrangements, but also in driving efficient and sustainable beef production. I recently attended an SAC event at Huntley in Aberdeenshire, where production targets were discussed and the potential within the industry to make it more efficient, and ultimately reduce carbon emissions. Whilst there was a lot of nodding from the audience that the numbers presented were achievable, fewer hands were raised when asked who was actually achieving them.

I brought this up with a farmer group and was given short shrift. The reply: “the industry is fine; producers are working incredibly hard, and it is unfair for nonfarmers (me presumably) to pontificate on what might or might not be possible; there are a lot of variables and we are doing well where we are; and we just need supermarkets to pay us more.” I think this is rather missing the point. There is no doubt the industry does work hard and produces a fantastic product, but that should not stop us looking at how we could improve and refine production efficiency, and alongside that address the Carbon issue. Given the changes the sector will see in central funding, I believe that it is now a very appropriate time for all farm businesses to delve into their business plans. Looking at what’s working well, what’s not, where are our main costs and what can we do to reduce them? Alongside this, is the question about Carbon outputs - how can I understand and manage these going forward? Net Zero and the Carbon debate is not going to go away, and it will be much better to be on the front foot and be proactive rather than reactive. At Virgin Money we have been piloting Carbon Audits alongside an experienced consultant. The results initiate understanding of productivity and efficiency, as well as how Carbon can be reduced and mitigated effectively; using fewer resources to produce the same, or the same to produce more. Farming is changing and the sooner we adapt the better, in order to make our beef industry truly world leading in terms of both production and carbon footprint. Our guide to The Journey to Net Zero for Farming can be downloaded FOC at https:// bit.ly/3-JourneyToNetZero.

DON’T LET THE NOTORIOUS ZON & DON CAUSE A SUDDEN DROP IN YOUR HERD’S PERFORMANCE COMBAT MYCOTOXINS WITH ULTRASORB R What’s lurking in your rumen? Reduce the risk of pesky mycotoxins with AB Vista’s tried and tested blend of specially selected biologically active ingredients. To learn more call Josh Rymer on 07858 911659 or visit us online at abvista.com/products/ultrasorb-r

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MYCOTOXIN CONTAMINATION POSES THREAT TO MARGINS, COW HEALTH AND FERTILITY While prime cattle may be achieving some of the most favourable prices the industry has seen for some considerable time, particularly through the live sales ring, production costs continue to follow in the same upward trend, putting further pressure on margins. It is therefore more essential than ever to get the most out of ruminant rations, and in particular forage, enabling producers to remain efficient and ultimately profitable through the input cost increases. “As ever, the risk of mycotoxin presence in rations remains and has the power to reduce the nutritional quality of feedstuffs, but also presents health and performance risks to UK herds,” explains Anna Dinsdale, ruminant technical manager at AB Vista. Ms Dinsdale advises taking advantage of the specialist laboratory service MycoCheck, available through AB Vista, to test straight feedstuffs, forages and mixed feeds, measuring mycotoxin levels

for up to 12 different mycotoxins. Whilst the 2021 MycoCheck results found that the percentage of samples with Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Zearalenone (ZON) at higher levels was relatively low, the concern is the widespread prevalence of DON and ZON. “Both DON and ZON have negative effects. DON can inhibit protein synthesis, impacting rapidly proliferating cells and tissues with high protein rates, such as those in the immune system, liver and gastrointestinal tract (GIT),” explains Ms Dinsdale. The presence of DON in a feedstuff or in the TMR can therefore have many negative effects on animal productivity including negative effects on gastrointestinal health. “The biggest threat posed to cows by ZON is reduced fertility, as the ZON molecule is similar in structure to oestrogen, so can confuse the body into thinking oestrogen is present,” she continues.

AB Vista has developed UltraSorb R, a combination of specially selected biologically active ingredients that binds, transforms and degrades mycotoxins found in the rumen. “By utilising four layers of clays, yeast cell wall, yeast extract and essential oils, UltraSorb R provides the ideal combination of components to combat both polar and non-polar mycotoxins,” explains Ms Dinsdale. “The range of components in UltraSorb R have been specifically selected to be effective against a range of mycotoxins that are common in UK conditions,” she concludes.

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Breed Society Focus | Beef Shorthorn

Sustainability at the heart of

Beef Shorthorn success “In my opinion they can outperform any other native breed,” says Charles Horton, President of the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society. “Of course that’s why I stock them, but it’s their versatility that’s remarkable. Quite honestly, I don’t think any other breed can touch them for efficiency and sustainability.”

orton’s 100 cow pedigree Hannington herd, stocked on his low-lying former-dairy farm near Cirencester, is a good example of the Beef Shorthorn’s productivity and sustainability. A mixed farm across a split site, and one of Morrisons carbon zero project farms, the arable operation extends to 3,000 acres, managed agroecologically by Charles’ son, agronomist Ed Horton.

“Bringing down the finishing and the calving age, without using unfriendly feed, has been the best thing we could do to reduce our carbon footprint,” Charles said. “We moved to this system about three years ago and we’re down to once a year calving

in spring. It’s working well for us, but no one way is right or wrong. From a Society point of view, we have lots of members farming extensively on 100% pasture systems, and the Beef Shorthorn is a perfect fit for their needs too.”

Environmental sustainability is a priority across the operation, and is achieved on the livestock side of the business through a tight focus on maximising efficiency and productivity. The Beef Shorthorn cattle are fed surplus home grown cereals, bruised and treated with Harbro Maxammon to increase productivity. Steers are finished for the Morrisons Shorthorn Beef Scheme at 1516 months, and are kept inside to hasten finishing. That frees up a huge amount of ground, which is allowing Horton to increase the number of breeding females. Heifers are calving indoors earlier, at two years, in the spring before being turned out. The use of soya has been completely eradicated on the farm, replaced by a home-grown mix of peas and triticale.

Young steers

Charles Horton

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Beef Shorthorn | Breed Society Focus

Biodiversity on farm

With core traits that are in strong demand across the industry, it’s that versatility and the ability of the breed to thrive across a range of different farming systems that’s behind a recent rebranding of the Beef Shorthorn as ‘The Sustainable Breed’.

Lawyer of Upsall

Adopted by the Society to mark the breed’s bicentenary celebrations, the new branding reflects the Beef Shorthorn’s strengths in contributing to sustainable business models, as well as sustainable food production systems. It also acknowledges sustainability through the longevity of the Shorthorn itself - the oldest pedigree cattle breed in the world.

fleshing traits, the breed has become known as ‘the great improver’, due to more than 40 different breeds of cattle incorporating shorthorn genetics.

Bicentenary celebrations will run throughout 2022 to mark 200 years since the publication of the first Coates’s Herd Book in 1822, with a 14-day Shorthorn World Conference taking place this summer. Farm visits that showcase best practice form the backbone of the world conference events programme, and a youth development programme will run in parallel to it, to support future leaders of the breed.

The Society’s partnership with Morrisons since 2010 has been a driving force behind that rising popularity, making it Britain’s fastest growing native cattle breed. Demand for Shorthorn Beef for Morrisons ‘The Best’ range continues to outstrip supply and new finishers are being sought on an ongoing basis. With a premium of up to 35p per kg over base for in-spec cattle, it presents an attractive proposition for finishers.

The Society is also marking the bicentenary by launching a new National Herd Award. The award has been developed to recognise the 200 years of breeding excellence across the UK and Ireland by Shorthorn farmers. With intrinsic maternal, docile and easy

For Charles, the focus on sustainability by the Beef Shorthorn Society is a natural evolution, and a reflection of the breed’s intrinsic traits. He said:

Originally used as a dual-purpose breed, Beef Shorthorns have developed as a separate breed since 1958 and the popularity of the breed has accelerated dramatically in recent years.

“We can all learn from the past and the story of how the Beef Shorthorn had developed and improved over those 200 years is fascinating, but looking at today’s opportunities is the really exciting thing.

“Demand for Beef Shorthorn is strong and with an increasing focus on sustainability across the industry, we expect that demand to absolutely soar in the years ahead.” “As a breed society, our focus is to work with our members and with our commercial partners to support the sustainability, adaptability, resilience and the productivity of our breed over the next 200 years.”

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Breed Society News

Breed Society

NEWS

The British Charolais Cattle Society and the Salers Cattle Society of the UK are delighted to announce that they will host two joint herd visits in 2022 13th August 2022 Allison Devereux Farms, Co. Durham, DL15 8DY 3rd September 2022, Tyn Hendre Farm, Gwynedd, LL57 3YP These visits aim to showcase how this unsurpassed cross can command a profit within any management system. Details

of the visits and presentations will be uploaded to both Society websites as they are finalised and will also be advertised on our Society social media pages. Note the dates now! Spread the word and invite your friends, members and breeders and help share this post far and wide.

Red Ruby Devons – Part of farming’s future The Show season is in full swing and with the recent great weather, it is an extremely busy time for our members. As a Society we have been present at two multi-day shows so far, that being the Royal Bath & West and Royal Cornwall Shows. Both successful with prospective new members showing much interest in the breed. With exhibitors entered at both shows, we have had good results in the show ring. Eastyard Camellia 24th owned by M & D Cowell won the Native Interbreed Championship at the Royal Bath & West. While at the Royal Cornwall, Devons won the Best Pair of Animals of Any Recognised Beef Breed with Dira Halcyon EX93 owned by J May and Stonegrove Forget Me Knot 10th owned by Stonegrove Livestock. Dira Halcyon’s success continued winning the Reserve Supreme Beef Champion title. We are now anticipating a strong showing at our National Show at the Royal Three Counties in Malvern. Thank you to all the Exhibitors for their determination to get to the shows at this busy time. Also a big Thank you to our sponsors, Fisher German, Protinus Beam, Inside Out, The New Inn, Oakley Estate Fencing, Fields of Dunley Subaru, The Berners Allsopp Estate and GM Hunter Ltd.

Breed Societies, do you have any news you would like us to publish? Email your copy and any images to julie@nationalbeefassociation.com

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Breed Society News

Suffolk Show 2022 Champion Blackbrook Zither E93A2301

Suffolk Show 2022 Reserve Champion Blackbrook Endeavour E93A2181

Longhorn National Show returns after three year break The Longhorn Cattle Society National Show was at the Suffolk County Show on 31 May and 1 June. The show pulled out all the stops to host the Society and it was great for members to be back competing for the national show trophies which were last awarded in 2019. Blackbrook Zither, a seven year old cow with her March born calf at foot from John & Pat Stanley, Leicestershire was tapped out as Breed Champion. Judge Lynda Burditt found her Reserve Champion from the same stable, choosing two year old bull Blackbrook Endeavour. Junior Champion was the bull Blackbrook

Judge Lynda Burditt

Field Marshall, with Gentons Urika from Bertie Facon, Oxfordshire as reserve. Despite the rain, members enjoyed a full morning of showing, followed by Longhorn burgers for lunch, kindly provided by Emily McVeigh from the DeKenton herd. On the second day of the show, Blackbrook Zither went on to stand Native Interbreed Reserve Champion and the pairing of Blackbrook Zither and Blackbook Endeavour were Native Interbreed Reserve Champion Pairs.

Best Junior Bull Blackbrook Field Marshall E93A2202

Best Junior Heifer Gentons Urika E93A2286

Stabiliser Cattle Company News We have had a full few months here at the Stabiliser Cattle Company. A busy sales season has been accompanied by some glorious weather and some much missed socialising. We had a great day at the Beef Expo in May, it was terrific to see some old faces as well as new, and we appreciated the amount of people who could make the event after the difficulties in previous years. As well as this, we have been hosting a range of Livestock Viewing Days across the UK. As a breed who works from a pricing structure for breeding stock and doesn’t use markets traditionally, it was great to get customers on several farms all in one day. This allowed people to compare and pick more freely and is an event we plan to continue with during the busier sale seasons.

June brought with it not only the Groundswell event which we thoroughly enjoyed attending for the first time, but it also brought our biannual study tour to America. This trip is for forward thinking farmers who are interested in the Stabiliser breed. With 20 farmers in attendance the trip includes visiting feed stations, ranches, and the founding Stabiliser breeder, the Leachman Cattle Company. As we continue into 2022, we are planning on hosting some farm walks throughout the summer, so keep your eyes peeled to see when your local event is.

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Breed Society News

BRITISH WAGYU AT LAMMA SHOW 4-5 MAY Wyndford Wagyu, Warrendale Wagyu and the Wagyu Breeders Association teamed up at the Lamma Show held at the NEC, Birmingham, 4-5 May. This was an opportunity to meet potential partners and customers as well as showcase MIJ carcase camera technology as part of the Faming 4.0 Trail. Developed in Japan, MIJ’s world-leading carcase grading technology captures a large volume of accurate and commercially-relevant data which includes marbling, rib eye area, fat colour and marble fineness. It has recently been introduced at both on-farm and processor level through its smartphone APP

which makes it very easy and flexible to use. This independent carcase data is now being collected, collated and linked back into future Fullblood and commercial beef production through performance recording and GEBVs (Genomic Estimated Breeding Values). In turn, it drives efficiency, improves the end-product for consumers as well as rewards farmers for producing quality beef. This places British Wagyu at the forefront of UK beef production by using technology and data to enhance beef production not only through greater efficiency but also in terms of quality and price differentiation. Mark Dent, DFAM Chairman (centre), presenting the Best Stand prize to (l-r) Jamie Brownrigg, Richard Saunders, Ed Martinson & Katrina Little

WARRENDALE & BRITISH WAGYU AT BEEF EXPO

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

ASSOCIAT

PROVED

WBA-Approved British Wagyu - Fully WBA Assured British Wagyu With all those within the British Wagyu Assurance Scheme already Red Tractor members, the WBA has added a ‘bolt-on’ to farmers’ Red Tractor audit in order to keep it cost-effective and easy to use. This means that the additional stipulations of the British Wagyu Assurance Scheme can be reviewed at the same time as their usual annual audit. These include DNA sire verification, BVD testing and 24-month minimum slaughter age. Full rules around the WBA Assurance Scheme can be found on www.britishwagyu. co.uk.

ASSURANCE SCHEME IS ‘RED TRACTOR PLUS’

This was the first time that Wagyu cattle had been presented at an industry-wide event and a combination of technical information, videos, literature and the cattle themselves saw British Wagyu win the Best Breed Stand award.

One of Warrendale Wagyu’s local partner farmers, Mark Elson of Hall Farm, Hornby supplied the Wagyu F1 finishing cattle which were all sired by the high-marbling Australian bull Peppermill Grove and out of Holstein cows. They were made up of three steers aged 24-25 months and two 24-month-old heifers weighing up to 750kg.

WAGYU BR

The Wagyu Breeders Association & Warrendale Wagyu joined together to present a tremendous showcase of British Wagyu at the National Beef Association Beef Expo held at Darlington Farmers Mart on Saturday 28th May 2022.

D LL RE YW BA ASSU

Breed Society News

GREAT TURNOUT AT WAGYU OPEN MEETING & AGM The Wagyu Breeders Association held its Open Meeting & AGM on 14th April at Wyndford Wagyu, Shropshire, courtesy of Philip Maddocks. A great turnout saw members and guests joined by sponsors and partners along with Wagyu breeders from Northern Ireland, Germany and the Republic of Ireland. Welcoming all attendees, Company Secretary Richard Saunders reported that the association was continuing to grow at pace both in terms of numbers of cattle registrations and membership. Wagyu is a unique breed with unique opportunities “Wagyu is a special breed of cattle with a genetic predisposition to be easy calving with low birthweight, short gestation, easy managed and very fertile. Then comes Wagyu’s USP – its great marbling which not only brings a tender, rich and juicy taste but it is this marbling that is full of monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid, omega 3s and 6s – the heart-healthy ‘good’ fats. So, all in all we have a fantastic and unique product – the breed itself, its highly marbled meat plus its ability to deliver a premium to all parts of the supply chain,” he said.

been promoted well to the beef industry but the next step was to embark on an ambitious marketing plan aimed at the public in terms of ‘push-pull’ momentum so that consumers generate demand which in turn drives the whole industry forward. It was felt that the association had only just scratched the surface in promoting the eating quality and health benefits of Wagyu. Wyndford Wagyu Commercial Director, Jess Edwards, then led a tour of the farm giving an in-depth explanation of their seedstock and embryo programme, calf-rearing protocols encompassing feed and nutrition, selection and breeding, finishing diets. Grateful thanks are extended to all the team at Wyndford Wagyu.

WBA Directors Chris Dickinson, Hugh Pocock and Jim Bloom joined their fellow Director Philip Maddocks for a Q&A session on British Wagyu’s vision and growth plan for the association. This included news of the new digital marketing campaign highlighting Wagyu as the world’s luxury beef along with details of the further roll-out of the innovative quality assurance scheme. The Directors felt that up to now British Wagyu had

Fullblood Wagyu cattle at Wyndford

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Feature

Northamptonshire beef farm scoops sustainability award Thornby Farms in Northamptonshire has been awarded the inaugural VetPartners beef sustainability award, in recognition of the strides made to improve all aspects of sustainability within the farm business.

mixed farm, Thornby Farms includes arable, beef and sheep enterprises. It comprises 1,500 acres of arable land, 900 acres of grass and 150 acres of woodland.

Farm manager Peter Moyes shares how the farm has prioritised sustainability as part of the owners’ farming ethos. “We place equal importance on looking after the environment and producing food. The current situation with war in Ukraine has brought food security back to mind for many, while the volume of the conversation on carbon emissions and farming has quietened down. “To us, good farming includes both. We keep 500 total head of cattle and 1,100 breeding ewes, and the farm has been in countryside stewardship for nearly 30 years.” Under the stewardship scheme, the farm has maintained 82km of hedgerows and 8 hectares of lowland traditional hay meadow, has been designated a SSSI, with no artificial fertiliser ever used. The team have also installed 6m grass and wild flower margins around arable fields and there are 40 hectares of wild bird seed and pollen and nectar mixes to support wildlife.

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Carbon footprinting Two carbon audits have been undertaken in recent years. In 2021, the farm undertook it’s second carbon foot-printing assessment through Farm Carbon Toolkit. “The purpose of the assessment was to understand the impact of what’s already in place and, to identify opportunities to do things differently to further reduce carbon emissions or sequester more in the soil,” Mr Moyes explains. The assessment showed the farm emits 256 tonnes CO2e per year, which works out at just 0.25 tonnes per hectare per year.

“We were pleased with the result, although it’s not yet at net zero emissions, it shows how our efforts are having an impact,” says Mr Moyes.

Feature

“Native breeds work to enable sustainable beef production because the cows are smaller, which allows them to be more heavily stocked, they utilize grass better and their progeny are easier to finish at a younger age.

“It also gave us some areas to work on, including reducing cultivations where possible, as we become more aware of our diesel usage.”

“We breed all our own replacements, so it’s effectively a closed herd, with the exception of stock bulls, which helps from a disease management perspective.”

Reducing finishing period

Focus on livestock health

For the beef enterprise, Mr Moyes explains that they are especially conscious of doing the job more sustainability.

Mr Moyes and his team work closely with their vet at Cross Counties Farm Vets, to take a proactive approach to maximise livestock health and productivity.

“We weighed the spring 2021 calves before turnout this year and decided to keep the heaviest 30 inside. The aim of this is to reduce the finishing period down to 18 to 20 months, leaving more grass to be grazed by other livestock, and reducing the methane released per unit of beef produced. “Finishing indoors is also more efficient in terms of feed and water use,” Mr Moyes adds.

Focus on breeding Genetics has also been a focus on the beef side of the business.

“Our vets are very much part of our livestock team, we involve them in all relevant conversations, as this helps to stop problems occurring, rather than reacting to issues as they occur.” He explains that they have reduced the use of wormer medications, by not treating routinely and no cattle are treated while grazing. “We try to rotationally graze fields with the sheep and use Faecal Egg Counts (FEC) to monitor worm burden on both calves and lambs. This is particularly useful to decide how soon to treat calves when they are housed at weaning.

“Of the 200 breeding cows, we have 40 pedigree Herefords, with the rest South Devon or Beef Shorthorn crosses. The heifers always go back to a Hereford first, then a Shorthorn sired heifer goes to a South Devon bull, or vice versa,” says Mr Moyes.

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

Beef Breed Directory

The British Limousin Cattle Society

www.limousin.co.uk 02476 696500

www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk

Dairy Cottage, Tower Road, Ayton, Berwickshire TD14 5QX

hello@herefordcattle.org 01432 272057

Tel: 01890 781358 Mob: 07592 139708 Email: secretary@luingcattlesociety.co.uk

BREEDING SALES February, May & October Fieldsman: Charles Symons

Limousin - the breed with the premium built in

PART OF FARMING’S FUTURE

Avenue M, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. CV8 2RG Tel: 02476 697222 Email: charolais@charolais.co.uk

A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN EASY CALVING - DOCILE info@britishwagyu.co.uk

E: cjmsymons1@gmail.com

www.redrubydevon.co.uk

WAGYU BREEDERS ASSOCIATION

www.britishwagyu.co.uk

T: 01573 440207 Mob: 07971 231885

www.herefordcattle.org

Unit 1, The Stable Yard, Woodhayes Farm, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4TP t: 01404 47863 e: dcbs@redrubydevon.co.uk

www.charolais.co.uk

THE ULTIMATE SUCKLER COW 01377 227 790 info@stabiliser.co.uk

www.stabiliser.co.uk

SIMMENTAL THE BREED YOU CAN BANK ON

THE BRITISH BLUE CATTLE SOCIETY

SUSSEX CATTLE SOCIETY Tel: 01580 880105 www.sussexcattlesociety.org.uk

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Holme House The Dale, Ainstable Carlisle,Cumbria CA4 9RH

British Bazadaise Cattle Society 01666 860470 enquiry@bazadaise.co.uk

SETTING THE STANDARD

GET MORE MEAT MORE MUSCLE AND MORE PROFIT WITH EASY CALVING EASY CARE BAZADAISE CATTLE

www.britishbluecattle.org

www.bazadaise.org.uk

01768 870522

info@britishbluecattle.org

PROFIT THROUGH EFFICIENCY

THE UK’S NO. 1 CONTINENTAL BREED FOR AGE AT SLAUGHTER Telephone +44 (0) 2476 696 513 information@britishsimmental.co.uk www.britishsimmental.co.uk

Beef Breed Directory

SALERS MATERNAL MAGIC

THE BRITISH PIEMONTESE CATTLE SOCIETY LTD 33 EDEN GRANGE, LITTLE CORBY CARLISLE CA4 8QW

The perfect suckler cow www.redpoll.org ( 01245 600032 secretary@redpoll.co.uk

LOOKING FOR PIEMONTESE CONTACT CRAIG MATKIN TEL: 07876 613221 TEL: 01773 550346 ALL OTHER ENQUIRIES TO CRAIG CULLEY TEL: 01228 562946

secretary@piemontese.info

www.piemontese.org.uk

GRAZING SYSTEMS | BEEF QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

BELTED GALLOWAY CATTLE SOCIETY 01896 820148

info@beltedgalloways.co.uk www.beltedgalloways.co.uk FLOURISH WALLS HOUSE GREENLAW, DUNS BERWICKSHIRE, TD10 6XW

SUITS ANY SIRE & SUITS ANY SYSTEM MELTON MOWBRAY MULTIBREED SALE – 27 MARCH 2021

WELSHPOOL SPRING SALE – 20 MAY 2021

SALERS CATTLE SOCIETY OF THE UK Jasmine Cottage, Gavinton, TD11 3QP secretary@salers.uk 07903 626249

WWW.SALERS.UK

Gascon Cattle Society

Breed Secretary: Pauline Milton 07787722497

The Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society Society Pavilion, Avenue M, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, CV8 2RG

gasconcattle@btconnect .com

www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk 01954 232796 | 07771 333303

www.gascon.org.uk A versatile hardy suckler breed

t: 02475 099146 e: info@beefshorthorn.org www.beefshorthorn.org

www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk 01738 622477

Patron: Her Majesty The Queen

Stirling Agricultural Centre Stirling FK9 4RN

Tel: 01786 446866

info@highlandcattlesociety.com www.highlandcattlesociety.com

Aberdeen-Angus, its more than a breed, it’s a brand.

SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

NBA Membership

National Beef Association

Membership WHO ARE THE NBA?

MEMBERS BENEFITS

The NBA is a charity, set up by beef farmers, for beef farmers. We exist to express the views of real farmers to politicians to ensure they are understood and represented in policy. Over the years we have fought against unfair trading practises, advised Government on disease management policies and now are working hard to ensure beef farmers have a future post Brexit.

Members receive a weekly e-newsletter, which includes the latest market information and NBA and industry news. We also produce a quarterly magazine for our membership including beef research, policy positions and health articles. Our members have access to our breeding terms and conditions of sale FOC, a step by step guide to selling breeding animals.

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Without the support of fellow farmers we wouldn’t be able to carry out our work on behalf of the industry. The NBA is also great for networking and sharing knowledge. Members have the chance to join regional committees which feed into our policy strategies and we run many industry farm walks, meetings and trips across the UK which are discounted or free for our membership.

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Under 26/student subscription: £40.00 For more information call NBA head office on 01434 601005 or email info@nationalbeefassociation.com. Visit our website to join today. THE NBA IS GRATEFUL TO THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

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For more information on Corporate Membership packages from NBA, please call 01434 601005 or email info@nationalbeefassociation.com

GOLD MEMBERS SHEARWELL DATA Animal identification systems: excellent cattle and sheep tags, comprehensive on-farm software and full management systems using EID. www.shearwell.co.uk

MOLE VALLEY All your technical advice and products to maximise the individual beef enterprise profits. www.molevalleyfarmers.com

FOR FARMERS We supply a range of feedstuffs that cater to both traditional and the more technically minded farmers and producers. www.forfarmers.co.uk

ALLFLEX The Allflex Group is a World Leader in the design, manufacture, and delivery of animal identification technology. www.allflex.co.uk

SAI GLOBAL ASSURANCE SERVICES LTD is the oldest and most established farm assurance provider originally set up to inspect the FABBL Scheme in the 90’s. Farmers trust in SAI Global’s experts for whole farm assurance including Red Tractor, GlobalGAP, LEAF Marque and retailer specific inspection programmes. saiassurance.co.uk

CORPORATE MEMBERS AB AGRI Limited www.abagri.com

Bishopton Veterinary Group www.bishoptonvets.co.uk

Hexham & Northern Marts www.hexhammart.co.uk

Sell My Livestock www.sellmylivestock.co.uk

Agri-Lloyd International Limited www.agrilloyd.com

Boehringer Ingelheim www.boehringer-ingelheim.co.uk

Livestock Lounge www.livestocklounge.com

Thirsk Farmers Auction Mart Ltd www.thirskmarket.co.uk

AHDB Meat Services www.beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk

C & D Auction Marts Limited www.cdauctionmarts.co.uk

McCartneys www.mccartneys.co.uk

Tudor, Lawson, Dallimore & Parry www.dolgellauvets.co.uk

ANM Group Ltd www.anmgroup.co.uk

Craven Cattle Marts Limited www.ccmauctions.com

Meadow Quality Ltd www.meadowq.co.uk

B.I.G Ltd www.bigbeef.co.uk

Frome Livestock Auctioneers Ltd www.fromelivestock.com

NWF Agriculture www.nwfagriculture.co.uk

Berrystock Feeds www.berrystockfeeds.co.uk

Harrison & Hetherington www.harrisonandhetherington.co.uk

Rumenco www.rumenco.co.uk

The National Beef Association Magazine | SUMMER 2022

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SUMMER 2022 | The National Beef Association Magazine

NBA Magazine - Summer 2022 Edition - Beef Expo Review

Articles inside

Chairmans report

CEO Report

National Youngstock Conference

Parasite Watch

Cheshire farmer moves closer to making £30,000 wage from sucklers

Regional Round Ups

Virgin Money - Where’s the beef