Beef farmers have been warned to 'get used' to an unavoidable increase in volatility and a challenging future market, according to the Anglo Beef Processors.
ABP Strategy Manager Stuart Roberts was speaking at a recent NFU county conference in Wales. He told attendees there are some 'fantastic opportunities' ahead with a growing demand, but a growing pressure on supply was increasing the volatility in the market.
"This is unavoidable," he said,
"Regardless of what agricultural sector you are in and beef farmers must face this fact and adapt their businesses to deal with it."
These were views also echoed by Euryn Jones of HSBC who sponsored the event.
Stuart Roberts explained that technology and technological advances in genetics and improving efficiencies all have a role to play in helping farmers overcome future challenges. He also spoke of how a carcass grading system, 3D Video Image Analysis (VIA), previously used in Ireland has been introduced at one ABP processing plant in the UK to replace manual graders.
Stuart Roberts said, “We need to use technology as an efficient way of grading beef cattle, this will improve the consistency with which beef cattle are graded and then ultimately paying farmers on the yield of different cuts of meat.
“In addition to accurately predicting meat yields this piece of technology can also provide us with information about specific cuts, such as sirloin or rump on individual carcass, this would then reflect to farmers the true value of each carcass. It’s still some time away however it’s a very exciting time for all involved.”
Newly-elected County Chairman Evan Roberts said, “Technology is evolving and we as farmers must use it to our advantage. This piece of technology would take away the stigma involved with manual grading and when we as farmers want to challenge a grading we will now have a picture of the carcass at the point of grading which is reassuring.”
During the evening new officeholders were elected for Clwyd, Evan Roberts, was elected County Chairman and Paul Williams as County Vice Chairman. Mr Evan Roberts closed the evening with a vote of thanks paying particular thanks to Stuart Roberts for his address and to HSBC bank for its generous sponsorship of the conference.
