Rethink cull policy following Over Thirty Month Scheme

Beef and dairy producers are being urged to rethink their culling policy following the decision to reopen the market for cow beef in November.

Previously farmers have culled cattle at a time when it was convenient for the animals to leave the herd, but now it will be more financially prudent to plan culls according to the market again. That was something farmers used to do as a matter of course, but has had no relevance in recent years because of the lack of any active market demand for the animals other than via the OTMS.

With beef prices so low a planned cull policy according to the market could be one of the easiest ways to lift margins, says George Chichester, Farm Business Consultant of Strutt & Parker. The Firm advises hundreds of beef farms around the country, and will be recommending to clients to adopt this as a matter of course. Mr Chichester will be encouraging his farming clients to look at their cull animals as meat animals again rather than culls, and to sell them fleshed-up at a weight commensurate with market demands.

However predicting the market won't be easy, he admits. "There's no recent precedent. Will the traditional pre Christmas increase occur again like it did before?", he questions.

Welcoming the introduction of the market once again, Mr Chichester says the move is excellent news and a big step towards regaining consumer confidence.

"The fact that aspects of British Beef have been banned has sent the wrong message to consumers and our former export markets. The return of this meat to the supply chain will help to offset the loss of home produced meat from the market currently resulting from plummeting livestock numbers throughout the UK.

"The return of good quality meat from both beef and dairy cows to the market will bring justice to those producers who care best for their cows, as the better meat quality will command a premium price once more."