Opinion: The beef industry is finally turning a corner
© GNP “You know you’re not in high finance, when considering second-hand underpants.”
Since becoming a beef farmer 21 years ago, I’m not sure I’ve found a quote more fitting to the sector than this line from my favourite Kiwi comedic pop duo, Flight of the Conchords.
While I may have questionable music taste, after two decades my choice of beef farming seems like it may start paying off, with prices finally starting to reflect the time, financial risk and effort that goes into producing a finished animal.
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How great to have a little bit of positivity in such an incredibly worrying time, both globally and within UK agriculture.
I’m also lucky enough to be part of a great local discussion group whose annual trip, organised by AHDB, was a little more upbeat than normal.
We had a fantastic two-day tour of the beautiful North West, visiting some truly inspiring businesses.
The rate of change within the industry is staggering, with emphasis now rightly being placed on maximising feed efficiency and, with it, reducing emissions.
Combined with the vital role cattle play in soil regeneration, it feels as though we have turned a corner.
The past few decades have been incredibly tough. Prices that offer little or no return, combined with a constant stream of negative headlines, haven’t exactly filled the sector with optimism.
However, the tide seems to be turning.
I’m hopeful the current beef price is more of a realignment than a flash in the pan, but the worry is that we are only ever one bad trade deal away from a flooded market, and this government doesn’t seem to be overly concerned about agriculture.
Ironically, our strength now lies in our emissions, or lack thereof.
On our trip, we visited a meat processing company, who explained that their customers are now having to be seen to be reducing their Scope 3 emissions (the emissions from their supply chain, rather than those they are directly responsible for).
In the catering industry, red meat makes up a staggering percentage of these emissions.
However, with demand for beef as strong as ever, removing it from the menu is not an option.
Fortunately, simply by sourcing their beef from the UK, rather than importing cheaper meat, their Scope 3 emissions can significantly fall.
Hopefully, combined with the incredible welfare standards, more companies will see spending a little more on British beef has far-reaching benefits.
Filling out a carbon audit is about as enjoyable as cramp, and lasts significantly longer. Nevertheless, the more data we have, the better.
Both as individual farmers and as a sector, the opportunity to market low-carbon or regenerative beef is going to be critical to ensuring we have a more lucrative future, but it needs to be backed up with the numbers.
With Great British Beef Week on the horizon, I’m ever-hopeful we can regain the pride in our industry that existed before the BSE crisis.
From having the perfect climate to grow grass, to the academic research institutions that help push us forward, the UK has everything we need to thrive as an industry.
Who knows, if the deadweight price hits £7/kg, I might just be able to start replacing some fairly tired infrastructure. Probably best start with the underpants, though.