Native Breeds of cattle provide an excellent opportunity for livestock farming in this country, according to one of the UK’s leading food retailers. Waitrose, which is sponsoring the Native Breeds classes at this year’s Royal Show (7-10 July), believes that key changes in livestock farming could favour native breeds of cattle. The retailer is already supporting native cattle breeds through stocking Aberdeen Angus and Hereford in its branches, creating a point of difference in the market.
Heather Jenkins, Director of Meat Buying at Waitrose says: "Following the introduction of the Single Farm Payment many farmers are receiving smaller subsidies and are looking to make savings. Native breeds are hardier, require less food over winter and need less maintenance. We believe that native breeds will have an increasingly important role to play in the future, particularly in hill and upland areas, where farming helps to sustain the countryside and maintain biodiversity.
"It’s not just about practical considerations at the farm level either" continues Heather. "Waitrose has made its support of native breeds a point of difference, something which has proved to be successful with our customers in terms of taste, quality and provenance."
Nearly two thirds of the cattle sourced by Waitrose every week are by native breed sires. Some 45% of the cattle are Aberdeen Angus, which is sold as a premium product from service counters, while Hereford makes up a further 15%, sold through pre-packs. A further 10% of the cattle sourced are organic and all the fresh beef sourced by Waitrose comes from the UK. The retailer wants to continue this policy and is looking to ensure a secure supply for the future.
Heather added: "Farmers will need to explore new strategies going forward and greater use of native breeds could be one solution. We have already seen evidence of a move in this direction. For instance, most organic suckler herds that have joined the Waitrose scheme over the past three years have been based on native breeds. The sustainable suckler cow of the future in many farm circumstances will need to be based on at least 50% native breed.
"This year’s Royal Show will be an ideal place for farmers to find out more, as it features the finest cattle from all our native breeds. We are delighted to be supporting this important aspect of the show."
As well as awarding a prize for the Supreme Beef Cattle Championship, Waitrose is sponsoring Native Breed classes for Welsh Black, Sussex, Aberdeen Angus, Longhorn, Lincoln Red, Beef Shorthorn, British White, Belted Galloway, Hereford, Highland, South Devon, Devon and Red Poll.
For further information on the Royal Show or to book your tickets now visit www.royalshow.org.uk or call 0844 5811400.
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Naomi Barry Amanda Wadlow
Ceres Ceres
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Notes for editors:
About the Royal Show
The Royal Show is organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE). RASE is an independent charity with over 6,000 members including the general public and the farming community. RASE works towards a sustainable, vibrant future for British Agriculture and the rural community.
For more information about RASE, please contact: 02476 696969 or visit the website www.rase.org.uk.
About Waitrose
Waitrose has 213 branches across Britain, combining the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop.
As part of the John Lewis Partnership, Waitrose is a very different kind of company, belonging to the 69,000 Partners of the John Lewis Partnership. Each year all Partners share the profits that would normally go to shareholders, producing a very high level of commitment amongst those who work in Waitrose shops, and allowing the retailer to offer the highest levels of customer service.
