NBA Drives New Strategic Research Policy for Beef
2009-Apr-14

A new, UK-wide, strategic research policy for the beef sector will be launched at Beef Expo 2009 at Malvern in May – and then circulated to government policy officials across both the UK and EU in a co-ordinated effort to re-invigorate disappointingly thin funding streams for much needed development work.

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This follows a meeting of the National Beef Association’s technical committee in Edinburgh last week which was attended by government officials, levy board representatives, researchers and beef farming representatives from all four UK countries.

“During this gathering, which reflected the NBA’s unique UK-wide position on industry issues, those present discussed, and then identified, strategic research priorities to improve production from the beef sector,” explained Association’s director, Kim Haywood.

“The launch will be an attempt, which all present hope will be successful, to reverse the alarming downward trend in basic farm yard research which developed after the progressive slashing of government research budgets at the turn of the century and then the diversion, by government advisors, of a large proportion of the remaining funds into new priority areas, such as environmental protection.”

“It is also unfortunate that the decline in government funding has not been balanced by the appearance of new, alternative, industry funding for foundation or strategic research projects targeted precisely at beef sector.”

“So it is no surprise that some of the UK’s world renowned research staff has already elected to relocate to other countries where money is easier to acquire.”

“The NBA is alarmed at the long term consequences of further collapse in research resources in the UK and the important announcement at Beef Expo 2009 is an industry-wide, and a UK-wide, attempt by important individuals within national research structures, who are working with the Association, to halt this depressing downward trend,” Ms Haywood added.

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