Dairy Event 2011: New Smithfield
New Smithfield is a new feature to this year’s event. Farmers Weekly finds out what is in store for visitors.
The UK’s largest specialist livestock event is not just about dairy, it will focus on beef, too.
Called New Smithfield, the initiative is designed to help all beef farmers – both suckler producers and finishers – find ways to improve margins through controlling factors they can manage: production costs, carcass specifications, overheads and outputs.
Developed by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers in partnership with The Royal Smithfield Club, and sponsored by EBLEX, New Smithfield will feature displays, practical demonstrations and workshops and there will be an opportunity to meet with the leading meat processors.
Beef producers will also find that from a total of 480 stands, more than 280 companies will be offering products and services of interest to themselves, that’s twice as many as any other UK livestock trade show.
Displays and practical demonstrations
Find out from the major beef breed societies – Aberdeen Angus, British Blue, British Charolais, British Simmental, Devon, Hereford, and South Devon – the real benefits of selecting the right genetics for your system, to give the best results in terms of ease of calving, weight gain, feed conversion, finished carcass specification and eating quality.
Each society will be presenting the strength of their breed and the use of Estimated Breeding Values to achieve genetic progress together with a halter led demonstration in the ring.
A display of cows with calves at foot will highlight the impact of sire selection on dairy crossbred mothers.
The processors
Discuss with the UK’s leading processors the key factors that will improve the returns from achieving the ideal carcass specification, how to improve value and the importance of producing for specific markets.
ABP will be focusing on the new VIA system, Dovecote Park plans to jointly demonstrate with Waitrose live cattle to meet with its market requirements; and Dunbia will be featuring a selection of cull cows and how they meet with its various market requirements.
The workshops
Join the open discussions on key areas that can directly affect the return from your enterprise by:
• using genetic selection to match your enterprise and give the best results with your breeding stock to reduce costs, ease management and improve finished carcass quality.
• reducing feed costs for every kilo of liveweight gain by matching feed, livestock and farming enterprise.
• viewing your overall enterprise by analysing and managing all the inputs to improve output margins through reduced costs, improved efficiencies, and increased income.
Visit EBLEX
The export market will be a key theme on the EBLEX stand, as the organisation continues to focus on opening up more overseas markets for UK beef and lamb, increasing the opportunities available to both producers and processors.
Producers will be able to find out more about the destinations available and the requirements for each market. With demand for cow beef on the continent continuing to be strong, EBLEX will be offering advice on the type of cows required and how to get the best from that marketplace.
Producers will be able to put their carcass classification skills to the test using the EBLEX virtual program, and experts will be on hand to help producers further develop their skills. Those looking to sell their meat directly, or hoping to expand an existing direct selling enterprise, can find out more about the opportunities available through the EBLEX direct selling scheme.
New Smithfield will also feature Meadow Quality, the UK’s largest farmer owned livestock marketing company and displays of the dual-purpose MRI and Montbeliarde, along with several native breeds – the British White, Irish Moiled, Red Poll and Traditional Hereford.
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