A ‘Great British Beef Week’, organised last month by Ladies in Beef, was backed by the National farmers Union.
NFU livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe says the UK is the fourth-largest producer of beef in Europe.
But production has fallen by about 4% in recent times. To reverse this trend the NFU is calling for consumers, retailers and the Government to back British farming and play their part.
It wants more investment and longer term relationships in the beef supply chain, red tape strangleholds removed and British beef labelled clearly on supermarket shelves.
Sercombe says consumers want to eat more British produce and provenance is important to them.
“One of the most interesting developments we’ve seen is the increased demand for native breeds of cattle such as Shorthorn, Angus and Hereford beef.
“Farmers have responded to this demand and adapted their systems accordingly. Many are embracing new technology – ultrasound and genomics in breeding, computer modelling and precision farming.
“But having the long term confidence to invest is paramount to the success of our beef sector and this comes from getting a framework where British beef farmers can run profitable businesses.”
