November 9, 2006

Growing market for beef from dairy calves

Dairy calf auction system would boost domestic beef production according to Britain's National Beef Association (NBA).

With more dairy bred bull calves moving onto the UK market, the NBA is keen to see both domestic rearer-finishers and export buyers competing for these at auction.

Over 40,000 Holstein bull calves have been exported since March, and decent calves able to be reared for veal or bull beef were averaging £50-60 (US$95-114) compared with an all-market average of less than £5 (US$9) at the beginning of the year, pointed out policy advisor of Britain's NBA, Kim Haywood.

Not surprisingly, dairy farmers have reacted by rearing more calves, with the result that, despite the export traffic, more Holstein bull calves were already moving through the domestic rearing system and production in this section of the industry was increasing, said Haywood.

Calf sales through auctions would not only pull in more dairy bred calves that would otherwise be wasted, but also give domestic buyers and exporters an equal chance to review what was on offer and compete for the animals they wanted, he added.

Movement so far has been hampered by the difficulties created by the health screening requirements for export animals.

According to the NBA, both Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) and Seerad (Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department) have been advised that the difficult paper trail currently surrounding individual calf movements could be replaced by email coverage for entire consignments.

The Association also confirmed arranging to establish a system that allowed suitable auction centres to be approved as specialist Assembly Markets (AM) where health screened animals could enter and leave the sales premises without jeopardizing their health status.