Beef farmers already excited about the opening of the export market will learn more about which type of cattle is likely to be most attractive to these high priced outlets if they attend the National Beef Association’s annual meeting at Hexham in Northumberland at 1pm on Wednesday May 24th.

The main speakers are the Meat and Livestock Commission’s export development specialist Jean-Pierre Garnier and Portuguese beef importer Senor Diogo Macedo.

And each of these international trading experts will be warming up for the meeting by attending a special sale of beef breeding stock being staged by Hexham Auction Mart which begins at 12 noon at the same venue.

“We can promise a timely and informative afternoon out for all NBA members who are able to attend this important meeting – the first we have staged at our new, national headquarters, on the Hexham market site,” explained Association chairman, Duff Burrell of Alnwick in Northumberland.

“Jean-Pierre Garnier is more in touch with beef export issues across all 25 EU counties than any other person we know and Senor Macedo has longstanding experience of buying beef from other EU countries over the period these markets were shut to the British industry.”

 “We are offering the opportunity for beef farmers across the North of England and Southern Scotland, and from further afield if they wish, to attend this important meeting and hear for themselves exactly what is likely to happen now that our beef is back in Europe and what this means to their businesses as they face up to the recent CAP reforms.”

The National Beef Association has always been positive about the impact of export re-opening on farm incomes and has worked hard with Defra and the MLC to make sure beef farmers were able to enjoy the earliest possible advantage from it.

“We have already seen the result of the removal of sales restrictions in the huge jump in value for over thirty month cattle and within a month we expect the average price for a well presented beef cow to be around 85p-90p on the hoof as a result of additional export demand,” said Mr Burrell.

“Mr Garnier will be able to explain exactly what type of cow is wanted for which market and breeders who listen to him and are able to offer precisely what is needed can expect to be able to earn most money.”

 “Other information relating to prime beef outlets will also be relayed. We expect to be told that a wide range of carcase types will be wanted and that the weight, age, leanness, of the ideal beef animal for the main markets will be listed and explained – which will give suckled calf producers more exact targets to aim at.”

“In addition to this we anticipate questions from the floor on what the general prospects for the UK industry will be now that export markets have at last been re-opened and I would be very surprised if other queries on the development of live sales of weaned calves to Spain and Italy were not presented too.”

 “Portugal imports about 40 per cent of the beef it consumes and Senor Macedo will explain his interest in big, lean bulls which in his own country average around 250p per dwkg and in cows that can produce the picanha, or rump cut, that is one of Portugal’s specialities,”

Presentations by these export specialists will be immediately preceded by an AGM at which Mr Burrell will give his first chairman’s report. It will be followed immediately by an EGM at which a motion to sack Keith Redpath from the board of directors will be put to the membership.

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