Morrisons Offer Premium For Beef Shorthorn

UK - Beef Shorthorn has been given a massive boost thanks to a new scheme focussing on Britain’s traditional native breeds launched by Wm Morrison Supermarkets and their subsidiary, Woodhead Brothers.

9 June 2011

2 minute read

Europe

An additional 16,000 native breed cattle per year will be required to supply the supermarket’s three Woodhead Bros abattoirs, up almost 10 per cent on current throughput.

The scheme is open to all British native breeds and their crosses, but singles out the Beef Shorthorn for a special premium. “Beef Shorthorns and their crosses will receive 20p/kg in total over Woodhead’s base price, or up to £75 head, while other eligible native breed cattle will receive a 10p/kg premium,” says Morrison’s farm operations manager, Andrew Loftus.

“The special premium for Beef Shorthorns reflects the supermarket chain’s long-standing commitment to the Beef Shorthorn breed on its own farm at Dumfries House in Scotland, where it has developed a new feeding regime specifically to enhance the inherent eating quality of the breed and produce a premium product.”

Beef Shorthorn Society secretary, Frank Milnes comments, “Approximately 27,000 Beef Shorthorn and Beef Shorthorn cross calves registered by BCMS in 2010. This record number demonstrates how the commercial value of the breed is more widely recognised than ever before. A major attraction of the breed has been the ability to produce functional suckler cows: now that we have a premium scheme for Beef Shorthorn beef even more farmers will be encouraged to use the Beef Shorthorn bull in their commercial suckler herds. It’s a win win situation.”

Morrisons have formed an exclusive partnership with the Beef Shorthorn Society which will promote the use of registered and DNA recorded Beef Shorthorn bulls in the UK suckler herd.

Under the scheme farmers, including those who already supply Woodheads, will need to apply for approval at least 100 days before they send their first native breed cattle to one of the firm’s three abattoirs in Lancashire, Lincolnshire and Aberdeenshire. They must be farm assured and agree to finish cattle on a specially developed cereal-based diet.

Eligible cattle – steer or heifers, must weigh between 260kg and 380kg CCW. Bulls and OTMS cattle are not eligible. The firm has developed a special carcass grid for the scheme which includes O+ cattle within the target specification.

Approved farms will be eligible for full premiums from 19 September; however an initial 10p/kg premium for Beef Shorthorn is available immediately.

To register, contact Woodhead Bros, Colne on 01282 729 117.