Now Limousin society sets up UK register

By FWi staff

THE BRITISH Limousin Cattle Society has responded to numerous requests for stock by setting up a UK-wide cattle register.

It will cover both commercial and pedigree stock, bulls and all classes of females.

Other breeders and bull buyers will be contacted and given the opportunity to add stock to the national register, which will be available to interested parties on request.

The BLCS is also aware of the growing need to get bulls on farm to cover suckler cows.

Normally, 200 Limousin bulls would be sold to commercial farms through BLCS sales at Carlisle during May. Other sales would add more.

“To avoid the legacy of the disease affecting farm incomes over the next two years, it is vital that we can get bulls traded under license, to allow people to get cows back in-calf,” said Iain Kerr, BLCS chief executive.

The British Charolais Cattle Society has extended its brokerage scheme for pedigree and commercial producers in England and Wales to source cattle from foot-and-mouth Provisionally Free Areas.

The scheme is based on a database of 100 registered Charolais breeders with stock to sell in PFAs. Buyers will require a MAFF movement license.

“The sheer weight of demand for bulls to work in suckler herds has been the driving force behind the extension of the scheme.

“In normal circumstances over 500 Charolais bulls would have been sold this spring,” said BCCS chief executive David Benson.