The demand for Organic Store cattle continues to be very strong.
Cattle of all categories are required by finishers and graziers but it is the bigger 450 kgs plus cattle over 18 months of age that are in most demand.
The price reflects the abundance of forage availability and quantity on finishing units. It also reflects the demand and buoyant price for finished cattle that has continued over the last 12 months.
I’m consistently asked what I think is going to happen in the next 12 months to 2 years and of course this is difficult to answer. All my predictions in the last 2 years could not have been more inaccurate. But it does seem that demand and consumption of organic meat remains strong with a tightening of numbers of finished cattle available to processors and butchers. This would mean that the next 12 months are likely to be similar to what we have seen in the last months. The unpredictability of the weather is a factor never to be underestimated.
Looking ahead further the picture looks very different, we are without doubt going to see substantial transformation in agriculture as never seen before. The scale of environmental, social and economical change facing UK farming cannot be underestimated.
We are heading into a complete subsidy-based change in Environmental land management and that transition, supposably over 7 years, is creating considerable uncertainty.
Demands for climate change and changes is peoples eating habits should also not be underestimated. There is no doubt in my mind that red meat consumption will reduce by 20-30% in the next 5-15 years.
The recently published National Food Strategy review, headed up by Henry Dimbley and an independent advisory panel of people across the food industry, gives us a flavour of where the food industry will head in the coming years and is well worth a read.
Back to the practicalities of everyday farming, we are always looking for more suppliers of Store cattle, lambs and Organic Dairy stock.
We are also keen to talk to new and existing Organic beef and lamb producers.
We are always available for advice and guidance on Organic beef & lamb.
Please call:
Peter Jones 07720 892 922
David Bostock 07734 808 050
Manon Parry 07500 474 886