Beef Expo at Borderway — ‘seeks solutions’

All roads will lead to Harrison & Hetherington's Borderway Mart, Carlisle, on Friday, June 2nd 2006, for the UK's national beef event, Beef Expo 2006.

The theme of this year's event is "Seeking Solutions" and thousands of beef producers from throughout the country - and from overseas - are expected to attend what is now firmly established as the UK's premier event for the beef industry. Carlisle is ideally located at the apex of the motorway network to attract visitors from north, south, east and west and the facilities at Borderway Mart are ideal for hosting the country's most prestigious specialist event for UK beef producers.

"Beef Expo is a "must attend" event for anyone with a serious interest in the future of the beef industry," says Ian Watson, Newlands Farm, Carleton, Carlisle, who is chairman of the local committee organising the event on behalf of the National Beef Association. "The event will highlight the latest trends in the beef industry and give producers a unique opportunity of focussing on the most up-to-date technical developments and marketing opportunities to help them run a profitable and sustainable beef enterprise."

These are uncertain times for the whole of agriculture, and for the beef industry in particular, but the long awaited payment of the Single Farm Payment and the re-opening of export markets is set to give producers a welcome boost. The UK is only just over 60 per cent self-sufficient in beef so huge opportunities exist to win a larger share of the home market by displacing imports as well as winning back export markets which used to be such a valuable income-earner (and providing much-needed competition to supermarkets).

"It is an exciting time for those beef producers who are up for the challenge of new marketing opportunities and running a profitable beef enterprise in the new decoupled world," says Mr Watson, who himself has recently moved into beef.

Mr Watson's committee is hard at work putting together a varied programme of events and demonstrations for the day and Beef Expo 2006 will more than live up to the high standards of recent years.

The eclectic mix of practical demonstrations, educational exhibits, beef breed displays, competitions, seminars and trade stands at Beef Expo, with a focus on performance, health, efficiency of production, profitability and marketing, will provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to glean vital information of importance to their farming business.

Practical demonstrations will cover export market requirements (for both clean cattle and cull cows), beef cutting, cattle handling and mechanised feeding (five different feeder wagons will be demonstrated).

All the major beef breed societies will be mounting displays of both pedigree and commercial cattle to highlight the role of their breeds in modern beef production and helping commercial beef producers meet the requirements of the market.

Subjects to be discussed by industry experts during a continuous programme of half-hour seminars will include live cattle exports, beef export opportunities, animal health, CAP reform, market situation, political developments, fertility and the economics and beef from the dairy herd.

The young farmers and open stockjudging competition is always highly popular with attractive prize money which will ensure a large entry.

Mainline sponsors confirmed so far are Harrison & Hetherington, EBLEX, Intervet, Keenan, Dugdale Nutrition and Yara and organiser, Euan Emslie, is confident others will come on board. Sponsorship is a vital component to the success of Beef Expo and the organising committee is greatly indebted to all sponsors supporting this year's event.

Another major attraction this year will be the new National Suckled Calf Show with a prize fund of £4000. A total of 12 classes will be on offer - six for Continental calves and six for native breed calves - in three different weight ranges for steers and heifers.

The overall champion will walk away with a cash prize totalling £800 for class, section and championship wins as well as a handsome championship trophy. One of Scotland's leading beef producers and judges, Terry Coghill, Muce, Birsay, Orkney, has accepted the committee's invitation to judge the show.

Potential exhibitors should contact Euan Emslie right away for an entry form as space is limited and the number of entries may have to be restricted.

For further information, trade stand entry forms, booking details for the farm tour and conference and entry forms for the National Suckled Calf Show contact Euan Emslie, Organiser, Beef Expo 2006, 3 Briar Close, Newport, Brough, EastYorkshire. HU15 2QY. Tel: 01430 441870. Fax: 01430 448432. Mobile: 07718 908523. E-mail: euan@eemslie.fsnet.co.uk

Pre-event farm tours

Host farmers: Beef Expo organising committee members Neil Fell, left, and Euan Emslie, third left, with Brendan and Brian Atkinson and two Stabiliser stock bulls at Scratchmere Scar.

Beef Expo is an event not to be missed by those with a serious interest in the future of the beef industry. It will point the way ahead and provide beef producers with the technical, economic and marketing background to help them plan ahead for a profitable future.

Arrangements for the event follow the format which has been successfully developed in recent years and will include the opportunity to visit three farms on the day before the event (June 1), followed by a conference and dinner. The conference will focus on export opportunities, marketing trends and the impact of increased supplies of beef coming on the market with the ending of the OTMS.

The three farms in the Carlisle-Penrith area which have agreed to open up their gates are:

Brendan and Brian Atkinson, Scratchmere Scar, Plumpton, Penrith

Father and son Brendan and Brian Atkinson run a 600 acre farming operation at Scratchmere Scar. All apart from 90 acres is in a severely disadvantaged area.

The 400 predominantly Belgian Blue and Limousin cross cows which were put to these bulls, however they have moved totally to Stabiliser bulls for the whole herd and have recently bought 9 Stabiliser bulls. They breed all their own replacements

The steers are sold through H & H at Carlisle at 18 months of age The heifers are fed a TMR all indoors and sold deadweight.

As part of the family business Brian's Brother Mark runs Saddleback Foods from the neighbouring farm and runs a processing plant supplying mainly the catering trade with beef, lamb, pork and chicken.

Robin and Peter Edmondson, Walloway Farm, Penruddock, Penrith

Robin and Peter Edmondson run a 550 acre unit a Walloway. Most of the farm is in ESA and Stewardship schemes. They are also in the suckler cow management scheme. With the help of grants they have over the last few years built new buildings and extended and refurbished older ones.

They have a 150 Limosin and Belgian Blue cross suckler herd put back to the Belgian Blue and Limousin bull.

They buy in mainly Limousin cross heifers between 300 and 400 Kgs and finish them indoors on Dugdale Nutrition concentrates and straw. All are sold deadweight with most going to St Merryn Meats. They weigh their cattle every 14 days and are achieving a daily live weight gain of 1.9kgs per day on Dugdale Nutrition's concentrates.

They have a lot of timber of their own on the farm and utilise this by making their own gates and posts and have carried out an extensive fencing programme on the farm over the last few years. They also use the timber to improve their buildings and are maximising this potential through the various grants available.

They also have a 270 Cheviot cross ewe flock which is put to the Texel ram.

John and Raymond Timperon, Barrockside, Carleton, Carlisle

John Timperon with sons Andrew and Peter and John's brother Raymond run a 200 Holstein Friesian dairy herd on 500 acres on 2 units. 300 acres is in permanent grass with a 150 acres put down to barley and 50 acres to maize each year. The barley and maize is used to feed their own cattle.

This year all the cows have been put to Belgian Blue and Limousin bulls, with some help with AI.

They finish all the progeny in straw bedded courts on an adlib feed basis ration of crimped barley, Soya, bread, straw and minerals.

The males are kept entire.

They also buy in cattle privately and from auction marts, and finish about 400 cattle per year. All go deadweight to Rose County Foods at Clitheroe and they try and achieve a deadweight of just below 400 Kgs between 13 and 17 months of age.

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