Caution in rebuilding herds urged

Press, 18 April 1980, Page 17

Caution in rebuilding herds urged

While the Meat Board was confident that the recent downturn in beef prices was only a temporary one, Mr J. Rattray, an economist of the board, advocated a cautious rebuilding of cattle herds when speaking to farmers at a field afternoon recently on the property of Mr M. G. Gould, The Hermitage, Rotherham. While the tone, of the world beef market was firm, there was no certainty beyond 1982 because of increased production and higher transport costs, he said.

Mr F. T. Heller, of the MMM Butcheries, told his listeners that the requirements of domestic markets changed from season to season and that over recent years there had been a swing away from sheep meats to beef. With the growth of restaurants there had also been a move from “door sales” to restaurant sales. He said that the local buyer looked for a “long lean, tender” beast.

Mr Charles Clark, of Fort Export Company, said that as it was his company’s object to obtain more money for farmers an excellent market intelligence service was needed. The fanner must be as w'ell informed as possible as he must be able to sell as soon as the market was right. With the improvements made to the cattle recording scheme known as Beef Plan. Mr Peter Packard said it was now one of the most sophisticated schemes in the world. He said it seemed that more emphasis was being placed on the performance data for bulls at bull sales. Pointing out the impact a

bull could have on a herd, he said that a Lands and Survey Department trial showed that progeny from different bulls were 20 kg apart in liveweight at weaning and 50 kg apart at the yearling stage. Summing up at the end of the afternoon, Mr A. I. Bilbrough, senior field officer with the Lincoln College Farm Advisory Service, said that while the first three speakers had drawn attention to problems facing farmers in marketing their animals the fourth had given a lead as to how to overcome these problems and become more efficient.

In spite of price smoothing schemes and subsidies farmers were still at the end of a cost plus chain and still had to be efficient

to survive.. Farmers must become more aware of market requirements and must farm their country to produce what suited their management systems and the market. They must also remember the advantage that they enjoyed in being in a country free from foot and mouth disease. Mr Bilbrough added a final comment about Beef Plan. It was that perhaps stud breeders who were using the scheme were not showing buyers the advantages of using the records available when selecting bulls. The field afternoon ended a two-day tour made by the North CanterburyHereford Club to part of Molesworth station and North Canterbury Hereford breeders.