October 28, 2005

UK's EBLEX seeks to promote beef exports through French visit

English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) welcomed a delegation of leading French agri-food journalists during a recent visit to Britain, as part of a programme by France's Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC). EBLEX hoped to promote UK beef exports through the visit.

The visit's theme was that of English quality beef production. The Division of Farm Animal Science, University of Bristol, and MLC then presented on consuming and maintaining qualities of grass-fed beef. A beef finishing unit near Cirencester, England, was also visited to highlight potential improvements in beef quality and productivity gained through using superior Angus and South Devon sires in the dairy herd.

The farm has also increased its beef bull use in the herd from 10 to 50 percent, in response to the EU Common Agricultural Policy reform.

In addition, the journalists had the opportunity to sample the end product over lunch at a plant, where a practical demonstration of processing quality beef was done.