Borderway Mart To Host Beef Expo 200608/05/06
All roads will lead to Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart,
Carlisle, on Friday, June 2, 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% 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.
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 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.
More than 100 trade stands have been booked and practical demonstrations
will cover export market requirements (for both clean cattle and cull cows),
beef cutting, cattle handling and mechanised feeding (eight
different feeder wagons will be demonstrated).
No fewer than 22 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 ten half-hour seminars will include live cattle exports, beef export opportunities,
animal health, CAP reform, market situation, political developments, economics
and beef from the dairy herd. The programme will finish with a “Question
Time” session.
The young farmers and open stockjudging competition is always highly popular
and attracts a large following of enthusiasts every year. The young farmers’ competition
is again sponsored by the Duke of Northumberland, with total prizemoney of £2000,
and competitors in the open competition is £1000.
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. Mainline sponsors are EBLEX, Intervet, Keenan, Harrison and Hetherington
and Yara
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.
Arrangements for the event follow the format which has been successfully
developed in recent years and will include the opportunity to visit three
beef 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 speakers will be Jean-Pierre Garnier, export manager with
MLC/EBLEX, Gerard Keenan, chief executive of feeding systems specialists,
Richard Keenan Ltd, and independent consultant, Peter Cook, former head of
rural business at SAC. 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. |
