“a balanced approach to livestock health” Tel: 01644 470206 [email protected] www.mvtscotland.co.uk National Association The Mart Centre, Tyne Green, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3SG Tel. 01434 601005 or e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nationalbeefassociation.com NEWSLETTER April 30th 2007 HEADLINES Headlines Page Headlines Page MLC & LMC Market Prices 1 / 2 Focus on profitability at Beef Expo 2007 6 Market Summary 2 Report on SW Region AGM 6 / 7 Precision finishing should deliver… 2 Scottish members urged to attend… 7 Introduction of Video Image Analysis 2 / 3 Could new emphasis on carbon … 7 / 8 Food security 3 Robert Forsters Testimonial 8 Over correction on emergency cow… 3 / 4 Diary Dates 8 / 10 Domestic industry losing valuable stock 4 Advertisements 11 / 13 Some interesting beef market… 4 / 5 Effort to discover hard figures on cattle… 5 / 6

(The information contained in this Newsletter is the intellectual property of the National Beef Association and is circulated only to registered members. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical to any other party, or parties, without the express permission of the NBA.) Important Announcements. (The NBA’s Newsletters are sponsored by MVT (Scotland) Ltd.)

Remember the NBA’s Beef Expo 2007 at Skipton Auction Market on May 16th/17th. (See section towards end of Newsletter). Everyone with an interest in the beef industry should attend.

* MLC and LMC market prices. The headline prices are an all-steer deadweight average of 210.4 (+1.6p) across Great Britain during w/e April 21st and a -O4L cow average of 152.9p (+2.4p) for the same week. The average cow price at auction over w/e April 25th was 71.24p (- 0.44p)

The R4L steer average over the w/e April 24th was 204.7p (203.7p the previous week) in the South of England, 2011.5p (210.4p) in the English Midlands and Wales, 215.6p (210.4p) in the North of England and in Scotland 217.8p (216.9p).

Over w/e April 21st the R4 steer average in Northern Ireland was 194.2p (195.9p) and in the Republic of Ireland 193.5p (194p) sterling equivalent.

The all prime cattle average for animals put through English markets over w/e April 25th was 107.98p (- 3.41p) and in Scotland 121.03p (-3.63p)

The O3 cow average in Scotland for w/e April 25th was 149.1p (149.3p w/e April 14th), in Northern England it was 154p (150.1p), in the Midlands and Wales 155.3p (149.5p), in Southern England 136.5p (145.0p), in Northern Ireland it was 151.1p (156.3p) and in the Republic of Ireland 159.6p (160.6).

O4 cow averages were 154.6p in Scotland (151.3p), 152.6p in Northern England (150.3p), 153.1p in the Midlands and Wales (144.8p), 137.8p in Southern England (143.6p), 154.2p in Northern Ireland (156.3p) and 161.2p in the Republic of Ireland (160.6p).

The P2 sequence was 103.7p (104.6p), 100.9p (107.7p), 118.7p (147.2p), 124.2p (120.9p), 118.0p (114.9p) and 131.5p (134.3p).

1 The P3 sequence was 111.4p (118.0p), 130.1p (134.6p), 136.0p (145.9p), 129.8p (132.8), 134.6p (135.6p), and 155.3p (155.0p).

Dairy sired cull cows put through English markets over w/e April 25th averaged 66.45p (-0.91p) and the beef sired cows 79.64p (+0.22p). In Scotland dairy sired cows averaged 65.47p (-3.85p) and beef sired 87.02p (- 0.27p).

Holstein bull calves averaged £37.21p (-£11.14)

* Market summary. It is virtually stand on in weekly terms after heavier than usual slaughterings over the UK in the first quarter and no signs of any more enthusiasm for slaughter cattle over the last week of April and the first week of May.

A useful lift in the value of P2 and P3 cows suggests more are being picked up for further feeding.

The most significant price development is in the value of Holstein bull calves which hit £45 the week before last and even though they currently stand at £37 are almost twice the price being paid at the end of 2006.

This is almost certainly the result of a rise in live exports which are currently estimated at 3,000 had a week and represent an unwelcome loss in throughput for UK abattoirs at this time next year.

* Precision finishing should deliver bulls eye prices. (Also see following section.) More money could be earned from more prime cattle if more processors introduced tighter specifications and offered premiums, backed by discounts, to encourage more precise finishing based on higher rewards for in-specification carcases.

And the NBA would like to persuade more slaughterers to offer bigger incentives to feeders who produce exactly the type of cattle their customers prefer.

Some processors are already encouraging precision finishing by defining tight specifications and paying substantial premiums for cattle that hit the bulls eye.

However others fail to offer an incentive, some even prefer to buy on flat rate, and as a result the price gap between the type of cattle they really want, and those that fall short of what is needed is much to narrow and not enough is being done to raise precision and financially stimulate improvement in both breeding and feeding.

The Association is ready to work with slaughterers, retailers and other farm organisations to design improved payment systems which reward the delivery of the right type of cattle.

More tools are available now that the industry is looking beyond the EURO classification grid, category and weight as the sole determinants of a slaughter animal’s value.

This really does open the way to more processing companies identifying more precise requirements and reducing their balancing problems because more of the cattle they buy are right on target.

This cannot be done unless out of specification cattle are hit with bigger penalties but the NBA would support this because if more companies are resolute about the type of animal they are prepared to take, and discourage those they do not want, there would be an immediate response from farmers and it would not be long before a bigger percentage of cattle hit the premium bulls eye and earned more money.

This would not only help to stabilise the beef sector, which continues to battle against persistent losses, it would also help processors to develop closer links with both ends of their supply chain because more of the cattle they handle would be of the right type.

The NBA can easily envisage a situation in which breeders and feeders each worked together to produce quite different cattle for different markets – and then made sure they were delivered to the company they were being aimed at instead of being picked up by someone else at a discount.

There is not a lot of sense in abattoirs regularly buying cattle they do not really want and a great deal of value in companies rewarding feeders who supply animals with a biggest possible percentage of higher priced cuts and at the right weight and finish too.

Finishers should also make sure they send cattle to the right company. There is not a lot of point in selling butchers heifers to supermarket suppliers or extra-heavy bulls to anyone else but an exporter with the right orders.

* Introduction of Video Image Analysis (VIA) machines. These tools are considered likely to take a pivotal position in the development of new deadweight price reporting techniques – not least because they 2 are capable of measuring the percentage of strip loin on a carcase and introducing premiums for long backed and broad backed cattle which delivered a higher weight of top priced cuts. This would then encourage more breeders to breed cattle with this characteristic.

Defra has told the NBA that there was still not a general view within the abattoir sector on their adoption.

Machines of French and Danish manufacture were being used in the Republic of Ireland using the reference specification (Old EU) and private trials are being used at a number of abattoirs in the UK.

Defra reported that there are number of interruptions to the system because carcases that are contaminated with faeces cannot move through the VIA system and VIA is confused if carcases have been trimmed – as they must be to avoid cross contamination.

Dressing under New EU is being allowed in the UK trials because it is judged to be sufficiently similar to the reference spec for trial purposes. However the European Commission has said New EU cannot be used in VIA machines for price reporting purposes – if VIA is used commercially.

The EC is expected to confirm its judgement on whether to approve a replacement spec for New EU, which would retain the pizzle sheath and limit brisket trim, sometime this spring.

* Food security. Defra has told the NBA that its policy on food security, first outlined to the NBA four years ago, is unchanged. This means it has no interest in reinforcing the production of temperate food products in the UK (including beef) because it can get the same (or better) food security results by maintaining international trade routes.

It was explained to the NBA that this mirrors the thinking behind the last CAP reforms when the European Commission made it clear that it was prepared to abandon its preference for food to be produced within the EU because of the huge cost to the public purse through production subsidies – which it regarded as inefficient because they disguised the gap between high cost EU production and the delivery of the same type of, but much cheaper, food off the world market.

Defra is continuing to advance changes to its policy, and structures based on this premise. These will be mirrored by devolved governments.

It goes without saying that the NBA regards these views as short sighted and it is concerned that both Defra, and the EU, appear prepared to regard the world as a supermarket, and continue to think that each can fill up their weekly food requirements trolley without fuss or concern at the same time as world demand for food is increasing and there is more competition from bio-fuel for production resource.

* Over correction on emergency cow slaughter must be tackled. The NBA used the Veterinary Public Health Association annual conference in Newcastle last weekend to call for a more proportionate, or corrective, response to the adoption of new welfare and transport legislation in 2006 which is costing the beef industry at least £670,000 a week – or £35 million a year.

Official Defra figures show that in 2005 some 139,931 cattle, mainly cows, were slaughtered across the UK as casualties but over 2006 there was a 96 per cent reduction to just 5,331.

Conversely there was a 125 per cent leap in cattle moved through the Fallen Stock Scheme (FSS) with 204,729 taken in over 2006 compared with just 91,079 the previous year.

This increase from 91,000 casualties a year to 204,000 is the equivalent of 2,000 animals a week.

And because that represents an enormous sum of money, and there should be as much abhorrence of waste as there is of poor welfare, the NBA wants vets, farmers and government to examine just how necessary it was for all of the cows in the 125 per cent, 2,000 cows a week, leap in last year’s FSS throughput to take that route and whether some could have been accepted into the food chain instead.

The Association acknowledges that although the OTMS was expected to accept and process cattle according to food chain rules there were exceptions and some welfare problems too.

So it is asking industry and government to work together to correct, the huge, and expensive, overcorrection that was introduced in January 2006.

Although Defra, the SVS and the MHS rightly insist that only cows that are fit to travel can be transported to an abattoir there are ways in which the number of economically useful animals being wasted can be reduced without undermining the new welfare and transport codes.

These include encouragement for more discussion between a farm vet and the Official Vet at an abattoir on the condition of an animal before it is put on the wagon. 3

Too many farm vets, and too many farmers, are assuming a cow will not be accepted at an abattoir and so are volunteering to put her through the FSS, at considerable loss to the business, when a phone call could establish which direction, commercial abattoir or FSS, a marginal case should be taking.

It has also been said that savings could be made without compromising welfare if a farm vet makes an immediate decision about a cow that has had an accident.

This would prevent cows that are victims of minor accidents not being able to enter the food chain because they have been under treatment.

Alternatively farmers can make more effort to ensure some lame or temporarily incapacitated animals are successfully treated instead of being immediately put through the FSS.

And it would also help if more farm vets began advising their clients that more cows could avoid becoming lame, or suffer from other chronic ailments, if they were culled out earlier and sold commercially before age, or emerging disability, becomes a permanent problem.

* Domestic industry losing valuable stock. Over 3,000 dairy beef bulls a week, and a growing number of weaned sucklers, are being lost to the domestic industry because finished cattle prices are not high enough to keep the animals here.

This is alarming because cattle which could be used to reduce the UK’s 20 per cent self-sufficiency gap are being sold to higher priced EU markets because offers from domestic beef buyers are not sufficiently attractive.

It is also an aggravating situation because an opportunity to build much needed domestic slaughter numbers emerged as soon as exports lifted Black and White bull calf prices and thousands of calves that have been previously shot because they had no value suddenly became available.

However it looks like this chance to fortify domestic supply structures is being ignored because the rearers and finishers who were expected to snap up these calves as soon as they re-emerged on the market are saying that the current average just 180-185p per dwkg for -03, Holstein type carcases, is not enough to persuade them to commit to expansion.

Dairy bull throughput at UK abattoirs was down 16 per cent between January and March this year compared with last and live exports are also expected to strip more high quality weaned suckler bulls for feeding in Spain and if current price differentials with the UK market persist – which means next year’s slaughter figures could be lower too.

More animals are beginning to be shipped out because exporters are able to outbid domestic competition and this is good news for suckled calf breeders because it puts more spice into store cattle sales.

However it would be even better if domestic feeders had the confidence to compete and then the industry would benefit not just through better returns for breeders but also because a higher volume of home produced beef was moving onto the domestic market.

Unfortunately the message to both home based retailers and processors that if they do not create conditions in which more money can be paid for domestic cattle then more output will be lost either to export buyers, or as a result of more disillusioned beef farmers closing down their businesses, is still falling on deaf ears.

When decoupling first emerged as an industry issue in late 2003 the NBA warned supermarkets and slaughterers that if they were not paying enough for breeders and finishers to cover their costs of production they would lose much needed beef, and cattle, to the export market as soon as it re-opened.

If more money was moving through the system the NBA would expect at least 200,000 more Black and White bull carcases to be sold on next years slaughter market and live suckler exports to be reduced to a trickle.

However it seems domestic players remain blind to the supply advantages this would create for them and their inability to accept that if prices are too low in this country then more of our live animals, stock they actually want and need, will be sold overseas has to be regretted.

* Some interesting market issues. (Statistical scource – MLC)

# Late last year feeders held off selling expensive store cattle and sold them earlier this year instead. If this year’s store cattle continue to be expensive, compared with slaughter cattle prices, could that mean the

4 same thing will happen over the first quarter of 2008 when prime prices could, again, be disappointing because of weight of numbers?

# A reduction in the number of young bulls being slaughtered, 16 per cent less between January and March this year, is raising the average age of male slaughter cattle which currently stands at 690 days compared with 620 days in 2005.

This helps to explain why, despite the dropping of BSP and the move to sell finished steers earlier, the average age at slaughter has continued to rise.

# Perhaps 350,000 - 400,000 head of pre-August 1996 born cows are still waiting to go through the OCDS.

# 10,400 more calves (almost certainly Holstein bulls) were registered between January-march 2007 compared with the same period in 2006.

# The average price of Continental cross dairy bull calves rose by 26 per cent to £132 over the first quarter of 2007. Hereford bull calves jumped by 44 per cent to £86 over the same period.

# Continental cross steers averaged £532 and heifers £446 over January-March compared with £471 and £388 at the same time last year.

# A slump in availability, possibly the result of more spring calving, lifted the average price of cull cows by 7p per dwkg in March compared with March last year.

# Auction values for slaughter cattle confirm a GB average of 111.9p over the first quarter compared with 104.7p in 2006.

# Retail beef consumption in the UK increased by one per cent over 2006.

# 46,000 tonnes of beef was exported from the UK over 2006 – and 70-75 per cent of this would have been cow beef. Together with live exports the total value was £108 million. Some 5,000 tonnes of beef was exported in January 2007. Beef exports in 2007 are epected to top 75,000 tonnes.

# Over 2006 there was a -0.3 per cent decline in the UK beef herd to 1.622 million and a -1.8 drop to 2.024 million head in the dairy herd. Heifers in-calf fell by 3.9 per cent to 670,000 head.

In England there was a three per cent rise in suckler cow numbers but some of this was die to ex-dairy farmers using ex-dairy cows in their new suckler herds.

# Slaughter cattle numbers are expected to fall over 2007 and again in 2008.

# Cow slaughterings are expected to peak this year at around 500,000 head and then decline slowly.

* Effort to discover hard figures on cattle to cattle TB spread. The Independent Scientific Group, which is chaired by Professor John Bourne, is to present a report in mid-May which is expected to concentrate on cattle to cattle TB spread.

There is already speculation in some quarters that TB spread through cattle accounts for up to 50 per cent of transmission. The NBA believes this figure is too high and in an effort to arm itself with hard information has sent the following letter to the Chief Vet, Dr Debby Reynolds. (Animal Health is the new title to the former State Veterinary Service (SVS).

“The National Beef Association is anticipating increased interest in the proportion of TB spread that can be directly attributed to cattle to cattle compared with badgers to cattle.

Cattle to cattle spread includes translocated infection in which an unidentified TB case is moved to a new herd at a location where wildlife is not infected and infects other cattle - or spread between cattle within the same herd when grazed or housed together in a location where TB infection is also likely to be present among wildlife.

Our records show that up to 1995 there was an assumption that TB infected badgers were incriminated as the origin of infection in 90 per cent of outbreaks in South West England. However since 2001 there has been interest in fresh, translocated, outbreaks in previously free areas after re-stocking following FMD.

In the absence of a hard figure the NBA, and others, have assumed that up to 20 per cent of TB infection is spread between cattle but we now feel the need to be informed by more than assumptions and it would assist the Association greatly if Animal Health was able to provide precise answers to the following questions:

5 # How many outbreaks of tuberculosis in cattle during 2002, 2003, 2004. 2005 and then 2006 were shown to be due to the movement on-farm of TB infected cattle?

# How many outbreaks were shown to be due to other sources?

# What was the total of outbreaks in each of these years and the total where an origin was considered to have been established?

# And in conclusion what proportion of these outbreaks in each year could be attributed directly, and unequivocally, to cattle and not to any other source?

The NBA very much looks forward to receiving the type of hard information that only Animal Health can produce.

At the most recent meeting of the TB Committee Bill Harper was confirmed as chairman and George Richardson as vice-chairman.

* Focus on profitability at Beef Expo 2007. With nine mainline sponsors and a record 150 trade stands and 23 beef breed society demonstrations, the NBA’s Beef Expo 2007 to be held at Skipton Auction Mart on Thursday, May 17, is shaping up to be the biggest and best since the annual event was launched 10 years ago.

Thousands of beef producers from all over the UK and Ireland, as well as Poland, Germany, Belgium and other European countries, are expected to attend this year’s event which has adopted the theme “Action for Profit”.

This theme reflects the importance of restoring profitability to the beef industry following the de-coupling of support from production and exposure to the free market.

The Single Farm Payment is subsidising the beef enterprise on most farms at present but it won’t last for ever and is being eroded by modulation which this year has been set at 17% in England – and rising. This means farmers will have to find ways of reducing costs, improving efficiency and maximising returns from the market by precisely meeting buyers’ specifications for weight, grade and quality.

The range of trade stands, educational and advisory exhibits, practical demonstrations, beef breed exhibits and seminars which will feature at Beef Expo 2007 will give beef producers an unrivalled opportunity to assess all the latest technical and marketing developments in the industry. It is an event which no farmer with a serious interest in the future of beef production can afford to miss.

The mainline sponsors for Beef Expo 2007 are CCM Skipton, who are hosting the event at Skipton Auction Mart, Dugdale Nutrition, Dunbia, EBLEX, Intervet, Keenan, KW Alternative Feeds, British Limousin Cattle Society and Yara, who are also sponsoring the open stockjudging competition.

The following beef breed societies have reserved space for live cattle demonstrations – Aberdeen-Angus, , Beef , Belgian Blue, Blonde, Charolais, Galloway, Gasgon, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Highland, Limousin, Lincoln Red, Longhorn, Luing, Murray Grey, , , Salers, Simmental, South Devon, Stabiliser, Whitebred Shorthorn.

On the day before Beef Expo, a tour of three beef farms in the Skipton area has been arranged (limited to 300 delegates) followed by a pre-event conference at Skipton Auction Mart sponsored by Dovecote Park Ltd and pre-event dinner in the Rendezvous Hotel, Skipton. The dinner, limited to a maximum of 400, is already sold out.

Bookings for the farm tour and conference should be made to Euan Emslie, Organiser, Beef Expo 2007, at 3 Briar Close, Newport, Brough, East Yorkshire, HU15 2QY. Tel: 01430 441870. Fax: 01430 448432. Mobile: 07718 908523. E-mail: [email protected]

* Report on SW Region AGM. The South West Region’s Annual General Meeting was held last Monday (April 16th) . One new council member was elected, Mr P. Cleave from Ashburton, as Mr Brian Jennings had resigned earlier in the year. Mr David Barker also stepped down as vice chairman and was replaced by Mr Christopher Thomas Everard.

David was congratulated on becoming President of the Devon Cattle Breeders Society and also for being selected to judge the Burke Trophy competition at the forthcoming Royal Show. Bill Harper was also congratulated on becoming the chairman of the national TB committee.

Topics discussed included replacement ear tags and the fact that one member has contacted Trading Standard to say he is being sold shoddy goods as he is TB testing every 60 days and some animals require new tags at each test. With regard to TB it was felt that the compensation payments being received 6 amounted to nothing other than legalised theft especially as Defra get paid for the carcasses by the abattoirs.

The speakers for the evening were Kim Marie Heywood who outlined some of the projects she is involved with especially exports and the fact that the NBA have been able to keep live pedigree animals travelling on P & O Ferries. She also mentioned that projects are being carried out on the Omega 3 content of beef and the tenderness of beef.

Our second speaker was Mike Powley from York who produces single suckled beef. His system revolves around his Red Cow which is produced by crossing South Devon cows with a Limousin bull. These Red Cows are then put to a Belgian Blue bull to produce bull beef which is sold to ABP for export. He felt the heifers were the weak link in his system and although some are sold for showing and breeding the majority are now being sold through his boxed beef scheme where he sells 10 kgs of mixed beef in a box.

* Scottish members urged to attend Bute Monitor farm open day on May 10th. A Monitor Farm is a commercial unit, which is regularly visited over a three year period by a group of local farmers and agricultural professionals. Refreshements are available

The aim is to identify steps which can be taken to improve physical and financial performance. The monitor farm is used as an example to motivate others and speed up the improvement of farm performance within a local area.

The Bute farm, The Plan, is operated by Brian and Janet Hill and is a beef and sheep unit running to 590 ha comprising 480 ha of hill and semi improved and 80 ha fertilised of which 30 ha has been in silage.

The farm is bordered on three sides with shoreline. With the erection of a multi purpose polytunnel used mainly for lambing (which is also the meeting venue) the traditional steading at The Plan is largely redundant. At neighbouring Garrochty steading 1 km away, the Hills have developed a 20 x 30 metre building and two 600 sq. metre wood chip corrals with a common feed bunker. The corrals are used for calving supported by neighbouring paddocks and shore area before turning the cows and calves onto the hill.

Brian runs the out wintered spring calving beef herd which comprises 100 beef cows and 15 calved heifers, plus followers. It is a mainly Devon x Limousin and Devon x Simmental crosses with some pure limousin. The four bulls are 1 Simmental, 1 South Devon and 2 Limousin, one of which is home bred. All Bulls are bought using the Estimated Breeding Value (EBV) information. The herd is BVD Accredited and Brian is working towards Johne’s Accreditation. The herd is likely to increase to 120 but this will continually be reviewed in terms of an effective cattle and sheep ratio.

The flock is 750 mainly Blackface. The flock is HISHA Accredited for Enzootic Abortion and is Maedi-Visna (MV) monitored. Janet is in charge of the sheep. Her overall objectives for the next five years: Improve lambing to 130% on the hill by 2008 and 175% in bye by 2010 - this dependent on introducing Lleyn cross which are only now being born; Blackface sheep on the hill bred both pure for replacements and to the Lleyn to produce cross-bred ewes for in bye and also to establish a reputable flock of up to 100 pedigree Lleyns.

Some issues tackled have been:

# Electronic identification – Brian and Janet have recently invested in EID equipment to use in the flock initially and then the beef herd

# Soil and Pasture improvement

# Mineral and trace element levels in both the cattle and sheep

# Progressing towards and easy care prolific sheep flock

# The critical times during a year in the life of the suckler cow

# Taking care of the newly born suckled calf to minimise disease such as scour, navel and joint ill

# Improving lambing and calving percentages

# Improving gross margins

* Could new emphasis on carbon footprints raise retail value of UK beef? Some travellers are already being made to feel guilty about flying – so could they also be made to feel guilty about picking up imported beef with its heavier carbon footprint too?

7 And if they did, with the backing of environmentally based labeling, could they also be persuaded to pay more for beef than they do at present?

This interesting, and entirely speculatory, prognosis is certain to be raised in future if UK governments continue to develop their already huge interest in carbon reduction in agriculture.

It is also true that if prices rose it might reduce demand – but if that reduced imports, which would tend to have a higher carbon footprint, then it is possible the UK beef industry could benefit in other ways too.

A new Climate Change Bill is about to go through Parliament which will set a number of statistical environmental targets for the agricultural industry, which could be tracked, and also encourage behaviour change.

This too raises the possibilities of introducing one star, two star, and three star beef products based on carbon credentials and that more consumers would prefer beef with the lightest carbon footprint and would pay more for it.

And could perhaps mean the creation of a market for all agricultural products which would encourage consumers to make informed decisions on environmental integrity which in turn would shape the development of the agriculture industry.

So perhaps the beef sector may soon be asked how it can secure an advantage for itself by piggy backing on the new environmental/climate change policies that are certain to emerge from government and higher prices for high environment beef should surely be one of them?

ROBERT FORSTERS TESTIMONIAL

Robert Foster has decided to retire as Chief Executive of the National Beef Association in June 2007.

Robert joined the Association as Chief Executive shortly after the inception of the Association. He has strived over the years to build the Association into the voice for the cattle industry. Robert has been and is a passionate supporter of the beef industry, he has never been afraid to be controversial and has always spoken up for the industry, saying things that have needed to be said, whether at local member meetings or to government ministers. He has always looked ahead and tried to alert us to future problems and worked to remove or reduce those problems.

The Board has decided to mark Robert’s retirement with a presentation, which is likely to be made at the Skipton Beef Event. Roberts main relaxation is his horse and so we are commissioning a painting of his horse and propose to use any surplus funds for his air ticket to the Far East, where Robert worked for several years and wishes to revisit his earlier life for several months later this year.

I hope you will be able to mark Robert’s contribution to our industry by making a donation to his testimonial.

To make a donation please send your cheque made payable to the “National Beef Association”, The Mart Centre, Tyne Green, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3SG. Could you also mark the back of your cheque with “Robert” for easy identification.

Thank you

Yours sincerely.

Frank Momber Vice Chairman The National Beef Association

Diary dates.

Thursday May 3rd at 11am. Midlands Council farm open day Manor Farm, Fritwell, Bicester. Courtesy: Peter Surman. All NBA members most welcome

8 Monday May 14th SW Council meets.

Thursday May 17th 2007. Beef Expo 2007 at Skipton Agricultural Centre, North Yorkshire.

Tuesday June 5th Scottish Council meets at Perth.

Friday June 8th Board meets Hexham – 10.30am NBA annual meeting – 2pm

Tuesday June 10th TB Committee meets at Bristol Golf Club

Wednesday July 25th Northern Region Beef Event Lilburn Estates, Wooler.

Midland Region of National Beef Association The Midland Region of the NBA INVITES you to a

Farm Walk /Open Day

on Thursday 3rd May 2007 starting at 11.00 a.m.

at Manor Farm, Fritwell, Bicester, Oxon. OX27 7QT

by kind permission of Mr Peter Surman & Family

This should prove an interesting day for all. Mr Surman has suckler cows, running with an Angus bull. He buys in and finishes about 2000 animals a year, mainly for the Dovecote Park scheme and they are fed on grass, maize and by-products. The farm is situated approx 2 miles off Junction 10 of the M40; signs will be placed to direct you from the Motorway.

Our thanks go to the following companies for their support and involvement on the day • Dovecote Park • EBLEX – Beef Better Returns Programme • The Farm Consultancy Group - Provides a wide range of Professional Agricultural, Environmental and Rural Business Consultancy Services. • Heygate & Sons Ltd – Livestock Feeds & Flour Mills • James & Sons 9 • Keenan - Working Demonstrations • Moist Feed Supplies Ltd • XL Vets

To help us with our catering arrangements, it would be appreciated if you would fill in the cut off slip at the bottom and return to me: Cynthia Hall, Stevens Farm, Granborough Road, North Marston, Buckingham MK18 3PP or call 01296670235 or email [email protected] ……………………………………………………………………………………………… I/We will be able to attend the Open Day/Farm Walk on 3rd May 2007 Name/s ………………………………………… Contact No…………………………… Number in party ………………………..

A one day workshop will be held on the 14th of May 2007 at Stoneleigh Park on the ‘Use of DNA tests in Livestock Breeding’. This meeting is directly aimed at informing breeders of Beef and Dairy cattle, Sheep and Pigs about the DNA tests which are now available and how they can be used. Reviews of current application in UK companies and discussions on how others can make best make use of the technology will also form an important part of the day.

In addition ESF-Wellcome Trust Conference ‘Animal Biotechnology and its Applications to Animal and Human Health’ will take place at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton on the 14- 16 June 2007. For further details contact: The Genesis Faraday Team, on 0131 527 4358.

Open Farm Sunday is the farming industry's annual open day. Over 1000 farmers and landowners are expected to open their farms and some 100 000 members of the public are likely to be putting on their wellies and getting down to their nearest farm to find out what farmers do, why they do it and why farms matter. Sunday 10th June 2007 on farms throughout the UK. More details: www.farmsunday.org

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1,500 FRIDAY 4TH MAY AT 9.30A.M 1,500 1,600 FRIDAY 11TH MAY AT 9.30A.M 1,600 1,200 FRIDAY 18TH MAY AT 9.30A.M 1,200 1,000 FRIDAY 25TH MAY AT 9.30A.M 1,000

EVERY FRIDAY IN MAY AT HEXHAM OFFERS AN UNRIVALLED SELECTION OF SUPERIOR QUALITY STORE CATTLE & SUCKLED CALVES 90 % OF WHICH ARE FARM ASSURED AND CONSIGNED FROM 3 & 4 YEAR TB TESTING FARMS ------For Catalogues for any of the above Sales Please contact The Mart Offices, Hexham, Tel 01434 605444 e-mail [email protected] www.hexhammart.co.uk

Quality Store Cattle Every Week of The Year Widely Regarded as The Best Weekly Sale In The Country Every Friday commencing at 10.00am. Sale of Store Cattle and Suckled Calves. Tyne Green, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3SG. Tel: 01434 605444 www.hexhammart.co.uk Catalogued Sales Every Friday With 450 – 1,200 Continental Store Cattle 8 – 25 Months To request a catalogue please contact The Mart Offices, Hexham, Tel 01434 605444, e-mail [email protected] Visit www.hexhammart.co.uk for sale reports, stock for sale, entry forms and prize schedules

800 Blonde Cross Yearling Suckled Calves from Gore Cross Farm will be sold at Frome Market, Somerset on Thursday 3rd May 2007. All are homebred, single suckled and FABBL (No 22842) and are out of Limousin and South Devon cross cows by pedigree Blonde D'Aquitaine bulls. 100 will be 18 months old and 700 will be 13 months old and all well grown. Contact Farm Manager, Keith Potter, on 07966 488882 or Frome Market on 01373 830033.

11 SOUTH DEVONS going places – quietly! GROWTH, MILK, MARBLING, TEMPERAMENT

SOUTH DEVON HERD BOOK SOCIETY’S Open Day By kind invitation of Heath Farms and Malthouse Livestock, Witton, Norwich, Norfolk, on Thursday 10th May at 12 noon South Devon pedigree and crossbred cattle are summer pastured below sea level on the Norfolk marshes. Members of the NBA are invited to attend the Open Day – please advise the Society office of numbers for catering and transport to the marshes from Cherry Tree Farm, Witton

SDHBS 01392 447494 www.sdhbs.org.uk [email protected]

Leading Suckler Herd for Sale One of the premier commercial suckler herds of Limousin cattle in the country is to go on sale next month. The G E Robertson & Co autumn calving herd, comprising 131 autumn calving cows and heifers, and 3 bulls, is being sold by George F. White on the 19th May 2007, at Stamford Farm, Embleton in Northumberland. The stock are all quality bred and from pedigree bulls which have been purchased in recent years from renowned herds such as Shannas in Aberdeenshire, Mynach in Wales, Johnny Thompson’s Hartside Herd in Cumbria and Scorborough near Driffield. Off the Stamford Farm (a 4 year TB parish) the sale comprises:- • The 110 cows/heifers nearly all with autumn born calves at foot, the majority of which are back in calf and due again this October. They are predominantly Limousin X, with approximately 35 Angus X • 3 heifers, PD to calf in September/ October • 18 in calf Angus X Heifers • 3 Bulls Some of the cows have been held back from the bull with a view to entering the spring calving herd.

12 Pure Bred Simmental Bulling Heifers, all homebred, single suckled. For sale available now from the noted Bowley Herd, Herefordshire. FABBL assured. Good conformation, Quality Stock, Quiet and Managable. Please contact: 01568 797666 or Richard – 07971 159983

SOUTH DEVONS going places – quietly!

GROWTH, MILK, MARBLING, TEMPERAMENT

Forthcoming Sales in 2007

5th May, Stratford upon Avon 25th May, Carlisle 9th October, Bristol

SDHBS 01392 447494 www.sdhbs.org.uk [email protected]

E-Mail Information - Over 1200 e-mailed Newsletters are now being sent out. Please can all those members who have CHANGED their e-mail information, contact the office with any updates, so that our distribution lists can be amended. This will help us to offer a more efficient service to our members. If you are a paid up member of the NBA and are not getting a copy of Newsletters, and you have an e-mail address, please e-mail the information to our Hexham office at [email protected] Advertising with the NBA

a) Advertisements will be placed in BOTH the fortnightly newsletter AND our Internet Website. The charge we make will be fully inclusive of website and newsletter ad-placement costs. b) We will charge a fee of £0.20p (Twenty Pence) per Word. Numbers count as words (e.g. 487kg counts as two words, 487 and kg; 0234 887654 counts as two words, etc). c) There is a Minimum Charge of £10.00 for One Month; £15.00 for 2months; £50.00 for 6 months. d) VAT will be added to the charge. e) Advertising can only be done if the Ad. Copy is sent to us by e-mail. We will not accept fax or paper copy. f) We can include pictures on the WEBSITE ONLY, which must be in JPEG format. A maximum of TWO pictures are allowed, at a fixed, 2-monthly cost of £5.00 EACH picture. For example, if you wanted Two pictures for One Month - the charge would be £10 plus vat, in addition to the wording charges. If you wanted two pictures for 2 months, the price would be the same. For three months, 2 pictures would be £20.00 plus VAT in addition to the wording charges; for 6 months, 2 pictures, £30 plus VAT in addition to the wording charges.

To place an Ad, or any other information (including the NBA Terms & Conditions for use in Private Sales of Pedigree Cattle by Individual Members of the NBA & the Warranty Certificates) please contact Helen Dobson at the New Office : National Beef Association, Mart Centre, Tyne Green, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 3SG or by e-mail to [email protected] or telephone her on 01434 601005. 13