June 7, 2007

Bigger herd unlikely to affect UK beef market

The increase in size of the English beef breeding herd by 3 percent in 2006 will unlikely have a significant effect on the beef market, according to the English Beef and Lamb Executive (Eblex).

The increase of some 20,000 head in the English beef herd comes at a time when beef breeding numbers in the rest of the UK are continuing to decline at between 1.5 percent and 3 percent per year. As a result, overall UK beef breeding stock numbers for the year were around 0.3 percent down on 2005.

Eblex economics and policy manager, Mark Topliff said the increase are likely due to cows being taken out of milk and put to beef or cows culled that remained on farm in December waiting to enter the food chain.

Topliff said the increase would give a temporary boost to English prime cattle which are forecast to tighten for 1.5 percent over the coming few years.