Quality DW producers demand recognition

By Farmers Weekly staff

SEVENTY per cent of producers selling deadweight want to see a greater reward for loyalty and the quality of stock consigned, according to a new survey.

Tim Bastable of Northampton-based Midland Meat Packers – which carried out the survey of 215 deadweight sellers – agreed abattoirs have to do more to increase support from stockmen.

The survey, which represents a total supply of 30,000 cattle annually, also revealed only 25% of producers saw a need to get closer to retailers. Half did not.

“It was encouraging to see that 86% of producers recognised the need to produce to a carcass specification and 82% see consistency as important,” commented Mr Bastable. Farmers should see such quality measures as being the only supermarket specification. Retailers do not want traditional prime cattle, he warned.

Rather than increase cattle prices across the board and introduce a headage bonus, the group – which processors up to 2500 cattle a week – has launched a new scheme to try to address these demands.

The Preferred Assured Livestock Suppliers (PALS) initiative will offer a monthly £100 prize for the beasts most closely meeting the plants required specification regardless of numbers forwarded, and an annual £1000 prize for a combination of cattle quality and numbers sent.

“The initiative requires no more paperwork for a FABBL-registered supplier other than a feed declaration.

The intention is to reduce the need for the group to `top-up its weekly kill from live auctions, although there are no direct plans to stop this altogether.

As well as being a useful management tool, some retailers have softened their approach to cattle sourced from markets, he added.