Press Release - Beef Expo to encourage producers to milk the potential profit from dairy-bred beef

Beef Expo to encourage producers to milk the potential profit from dairy-bred beef.

Dairy-bred beef needs to be championed rather than seen as second class, encouraging producers to milk the potential profit from an enterprise which accounts for half of all UK beef produced.

That will be the message at Beef Expo 2012 on May 24th at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire, sponsored by Lloyds TSB.

In a dedicated Beef from the Dairy Herd area, event organiser the National Beef Association has teamed up with key industry partners to promote essential aspects of dairy-bred beef aimed at improving producers’ profits, explains event Chairman Paul Westaway.

“As an industry we cannot afford to see the major contribution dairy-bred beef provides as a by-product, especially when Eblex figures show it is a major player in the supply of UK beef,” he says.

“Nor should producers be made to feel second class – we want them to feel – and be – world class. The aim should be to have a supply of quality, healthy, productive and profitable cattle from dairy and beef herds.”

“The potential is there. Visitors to Beef from the Dairy Herd will get practical, no-nonsense help on all aspects, from initial sire selection right down to the correct finishing diet.”

The Beef from the Dairy Herd area will include several pens of live cattle, showing the wide range of different stock within dairy-bred beef enterprises. The NBA is also delighted with the large number of organisations and experts involved.

Jamie Robertson will be running a clinic to share his world class knowledge on ventilation in livestock buildings. XL Vets will give advice on calf health planning including vaccination. Meadow Quality and Blade Farming will explain options for calf rearing and cattle finishing. And Eblex will be providing both technical and economic advice.

According to Mary Vickers, Eblex senior beef scientist, the potential to improve margins is considerable.

“Between £20 and £40 can be added to the value of a dairy-bred beef animal by using semen from sires in the top 25% of their breed compared with below average sires. This is down to better feed conversion, fewer days to slaughter and higher carcase value,” she explains.

“And the one critical step all producers should address is improving calf health. This pays dividend throughout the animal’s life but, like all livestock enterprises, dairy-bred beef is a system so no one part can be improved in isolation.”

Details of Beef from the Dairy Herd as well as the full event programme for Beef Expo 2012 can be found online at www.beefexpo.co.uk.

For more information contact:

Euan Emslie, NBA Beef Expo Organiser, 01430 441870 or 07718 908523

Paul Westaway, NBA Beef Expo 2012 Chairman, 07814 537462

Helen Dobson, NBA Head Office, 01434 601005