NBA (NI) announces three-day tour of the Best of British Beef

The National Beef Association (NI) has today launched the details of its annual three-day road trip to the NBA Beef Expo. This year the event will be hosted by the NBA at the NAEC, Stoneleigh Park on the18th May 2017.
The tour will run from Tuesday 16th to Thursday 18th May and will include two days of farm tours visiting four exceptional farms across the Midlands and Wales, two nights’ accommodation, a ticket to the prestigious Beef Expo Industry Dinner, entry to the Beef Expo and all transport.

After travelling from Dublin to Holyhead, the farm tours will kick off on Tuesday with Richard Tudor, Farmers Weekly beef farmer of the year 2016, welcoming visitors to look around his prize-winning spring calving herd of 140 suckler cattle. His 290ha upland farm is a fantastic demonstration of a profitable and thriving hill farm achieving a gross margin of £704/cow, £100 above the best Welsh Upland farms on average. Richards focuses on herd fertility and utilises high 200 day weight EBV terminal sires to produce calves born within a tight calving period (90% within 6 weeks) achieving up to 1.53kg DLWG from birth to weaning.

The following day will be filled with another three farm tours.
Roger and Tom Elliott will be showcasing their herd of 300 British Shorthorn, South Devon and cross bred cattle, demonstrating how their system optimises forage from 1350 acres of majority rented pasture to produce quality native stores and replacement heifers. Visitors will have the chance to view a selection of cattle and calves at grass before tucking into a hot beef lunch provided by the Elliott’s own butchers shop and deli.

Mike, Jane and Charlie Wills will be opening the gates to their immaculate finishing unit. A model arable and AFU, finishing 1300 head of high conformation limousine type stores on home mixed TMR rations. All stores are bought from markets across the country and sold weekly though the market in Selby. Mikes eye for quality cattle combined with Jane and Charlies attention to detail and numbers makes for a fantastic team producing consistent top quality cattle.

Finally, John Bell, founder of Berryfields Farm and Berrystock feeds will be promoting the benefits of an integrated beef supply chain. While walking around this impressive 3000 head finishing unit, visitors will be able to view a complete supply chain taking dairy bred calves supplied by Meadow Quality, feeding specialised UFAS accredited feeds produced by Berrystock feeds, to produce uniform finished cattle ready to be sold direct to Dunbia supplying both the Co-op and Llidl. A modern and eficient system which embraces cooperation to produce a uniform product to feed the masses.

Commenting on the event Stephen Heenan, NBA (NI) Board Member and tour organiser said: “I am very much looking forward to this year’s annual visit to the Beef Expo. The event is a fantastic opportunity for our farmers to view some of the best beef farms the UK has to offer, and take home ideas to apply within their own enterprises. The Beef Expo show day never fails to impress, and is a brilliant opportunity to network, and learn of all the latest technology’s the industry has to offer”

The trip will finish with a day at the NBAs annual Beef Expo. This year’s event will include the NBA National Commercial Cattle Show, breed societies, educational and trade stands, demonstrations, seminars and for the first time the South Devons’ Technical Show. With something for everyone the event acts as a key networking opportunity for everyone with an interest in the beef industry and showcases the Best of British Beef.

The tour is priced at £270 with a deadline of 20th April. To reserve your place, or for more information about NBA (NI) and how to get involved please contact Stephen Heenan on 07889 159496 or email [email protected] or Ernie Ritchie on 07752 673227 or [email protected]

Notes to Editor’s:

Organised by the National Beef Association, the Beef Expo is a key date in the Beef industry calendar. Hosted by the NBA this year at Stoneleigh’s NAEC on the 18th May the Expo will include The Commercial Cattle Show, the South Devons Championships, over 100 industry and educational trade stands, seminars, demonstrations, farm tours (17th May), beef industry dinner (17th May) and the Future Beef Farmer Challenge. Trade stand applications, visitor tickets, farm tour tickets, industry dinner tickets and cattle show entry forms and future beef farmer entry forms are available online on the NBA Beef Expo website, www.beefexpo.co.uk, where further detailed information about the event can also be found.

A word document of this press release can be downloaded at www.beefexpo.co.uk under press releases. Images and Logos can be requested from the Marketing and PR Manager.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For all Media and PR enquiries please contact Tom Kinroy, Marketing and PR Manager Tel: 07738 229752 Email: [email protected]

Event Organised By: National Beef Association www.nationalbeefassociation.com

A Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England. Reg No. 3678612 Registered Charity No.1115366 VAT No. 747 6388 8