A Guide to Integrated Beef Schemes
Integrated Beef Schemes: A Guide to What’s Available and How They Benefit UK Farmers
UK – [May 27, 2025] – As dairy beef continues to grow its share of prime cattle slaughter in Great Britain, integrated beef schemes are becoming an increasingly vital component of the supply chain. These programmes link dairy farmers, beef producers, retailers, and processors, offering significant benefits such as guaranteed minimum prices, financial security, and streamlined operations.
Integrated beef schemes are designed to provide a reliable home for dairy-bred calves, ensuring a consistent supply for the beef market while offering farmers the stability of forward contracts and more accurate budgeting. Some even extend to integrated lending and fixed forward prices to assist with cash flow.
Here’s a look at some of the prominent integrated beef schemes operating across Britain:
- Elite Beef Scheme (Woodhead Bros, Myton Food Group): Relaunched in 2022, this scheme, in partnership with Buitelaar Group, involves 140 grower/finisher farms. Woodhead Bros retains ownership on growing farms, while grower-finisher cattle can be farmer-owned with company financing. Payments are linked to the UK weekly standard base price, with a guaranteed minimum price, and bonuses are based on the standard EUROP grid.
- Koyu Wagyu: A newer scheme aiming for “premium prices for premium beef,” Koyu Wagyu seeks dairy farms to supply calves, as well as rearers, growers, and finishers. Dairy farmers receive a fixed price per calf. Funding is offered via Oxbury, with farmers guaranteed a premium above the base price, plus an additional bonus for marbling.
- Warrendale Wagyu: Now in its eighth year, Warrendale Wagyu works with 1,000 UK farmers. Dairy farmers use Wagyu sires supplied by Genus and receive a payment per calf plus a premium at slaughter. Farmers own the animals, with finance options available, and prices are reviewed every six months based on a cost-of-production model, including a base price for finishers that increases with marbling scores.
- Meadow Quality Beef Scheme: Launched by the farmer-owned co-operative Meadow Quality (MQ), this scheme offers flexibility, allowing farmers to choose when to sell animals back through MQ (e.g., as forward stores or at finishing). While farmers purchase animals, MQ has partnered with Oxbury for finance options. The scheme primarily uses British Blue and Aberdeen-Angus sired dairy crosses.
- ABP Gamechanger: In its seventh year, this exclusive partnership between processor ABP and Sainsbury’s focuses solely on Aberdeen Angus beef. Calf prices are reviewed monthly, with dairy farmers receiving a fixed forward price. ABP owns calves at the rearing farm, paying rearers a management fee, while finishers purchase weaned calves with finance options. Cattle must be fed predominately grass or forage-based diets.
These schemes collectively highlight the evolving landscape of beef production, offering structured pathways designed to improve efficiency, traceability, and financial predictability across the supply chain, from calf to consumer.
Original source: Farmers Weekly
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