“Spectacular Year of Performance” For Limousin Breed
25/04/05

Society's Annual Report For 2004

The British Limousin Cattle Society enjoyed “a spectacular year of performance” in 2004 that featured record levels of registrations and membership, record performance at pedigree sales, a substantial increase in total income, and a further expansion of the breed's dominant position in the commercial beef market.

Aled Edwards

In his first Annual Report as BLCS Chairman, Mr. Aled Edwards, Home Farm, Cilycwm, Llandovery, said:  “2004 was one of the breed's most spectacular and successful years to date.  It is particularly heartening that this year on year level of breed performance is driven on by a keen eye on the market place and hard-headed commercialism.”

Figures recently released by the British Cattle Movement Service reflect the Limousin breed's continued rise as it accounted for yet another year-on-year increase in market share of beef cattle registrations, with the 716,320 passports issued - 100,000 more than the combined total of the breed's nearest two competitors. 

The Society's income during 2004 was a record £920,232 - an increase of £253,796, or 38%, on the year.   The principal source of income was again from pedigree registrations which set another breed record at over 18,000 head, an increase of over 2,000 on the year that brought a total gross income of over £450,000.  More than £60,000 was returned to the membership as part of the breed improvement de-registration initiative designed to allow breeders selection choices with the aim of maintaining and enhancing the quality and standard of cattle within the Society's pedigree herdbook.  The ten-year trend shows an increase in registrations of 77.4% since 1994.

Pedigree Limousin sales broke through the £6 Million barrier in 2004, for the first time, to an overall gross of £6,006,530 from 54 official sales.

Membership of the Society in the year also reached an all-time high of 2355 with 142 new members joining.

As a consequence of this level of activity, the Society's accounts show a profit of over £136,000 up some £71,307 on the year.   The total level of retained funds is £1,286,068 which includes £684,916 of listed investments.   This particularly strong financial discipline and performance is all the more remarkable for having been achieved in a year of extraordinary activity.  Exceptional funds were generated by the International Limousin Congress with Society income from that event amounting to £141,748 from that event.   The appointed travel company's ILC business activity added to that of the Society's resulted in a whole ILC project value of £817,027.

BLCS Treasurer, Mr. Ian Callion, Bolfornought Farm, Stirling, commented: “These are excellent figures reflective of the continued progress and growth of the breed and Society.  There remains an absolute commitment and determination to invest heavily in structured long-term technical and marketing initiatives to further build on the considerable breed platform that has now been built. In 2005 a commitment of £100,000 has already been approved for a Limousin Herd Health Initiative extending over four years.

“Development of the collaborative single database initiative involving the Texel and Suffolk Sheep Societies will also continue through 2005.  This project's aim is minimise costs to members and maximise opportunities for future business through the provision of a leading-edge, web-enabled database system. First year investment in BASCO Data Ltd amounted to £80,000,” he reported.

The Annual General Meeting of the British Limousin Cattle Society will take place at Carlisle on May 6th during the build up to the breed's main sale which sees females sold on the evening of May 6th and 341 bulls for offer on May 7th.