Lamb prices hit £7 a kg at abattoirs

 

A flying finished lamb trade and a positive outlook for the spring will offer some confidence to sheep farmers during the next few months.

Strong retail demand, tight supply, increased export trade and firm buyer interest in the build-up to Ramadan should all help to offer short-term support.

The deadweight lamb SQQ averaged £7/kg for the week ending 24 February, up 37% (189p/kg) on the same week last year.

Tight supplies of lamb have left processors looking for stock, with GB estimated slaughter figures back by about 8% compared with this time last year, to less than 200,000 head a week. This is due to a smaller lamb crop in 2023, and adverse weather slowing finishing on farm and restricting the number of hoggs coming forward.

Meanwhile, this year’s early lambers are being affected by a rise in cases of Schmallenberg disease, which could limit throughputs moving forward.

In Scotland, R3L-grade lambs averaged 696p/kg deadweight in mid-February, while old-season lambs at Scottish auction marts have been averaging about 315p/kg liveweight.

 

Charlie Reeve | Farmers Weekly

Avara focuses on optimisation after tough year

Avara Foods has pledged to streamline its business after posting a second successive loss in its annual accounts.

The leading poultry supplier’s latest accounts, for the financial year ended May 2023, showed an increase in turnover to over £1.5bn, but an overall loss of £12.8m after taxation. That represented an improvement of £3.3m on the May 2022 result.

The financial performance reflected a continuing tough trading climate, with new inflation driving costs higher and further depressing underlying demand, according to the company.

Chief executive Andy Dawkins said: “Given the anticipated prevailing economic and market conditions, financial performance for the period is in line with expectations. Avara’s higher turnover has arisen from the inflationary pressure that has been well documented over the period, but this significant rise does not fully offset the total increase in production costs, resulting in an overall loss after taxation.”

 

Also:

Jobs at risk as Avara factory closure announced

 

Michael Barker | Poultry News

Plans For Isle of Wight Abattoir

Discussions about establishing an abattoir on the Isle of Wight are progressing, with representatives of the National Farmers Union set to meet with the Farming Minister this week.

Local MP Bob Seely has arranged the meeting with Farming Minister Mark Spencer following a discussion held between the 2 earlier this year.

NFU members will now meet with the Minister on Wednesday (28th February) to discuss the Island abattoir project.

Mr Seely has said:

“Introducing an abattoir facility on the Island would improve the Island’s economy, ensure animals are treated more humanely, reduce food miles, and provide assurance that meat sold as Isle of Wight meat is from the Island.

“I will be asking Islanders to voice their opinions on the subject. They can either comment on my social media channels or ideally, they can email me with their thoughts.”

 

Darren Toogood | Island Echo

What is Wagyu beef?

Wagyu beef is a Japanese delicacy known for its superb quality, rich flavors, and sumptuous textures. The term ‘Wagyu’ directly translates to ‘Japanese cow,’ and this high-grade beef originates from a selection of Japanese cattle breeds. There are four principal breeds: Japanese Black (Kuroge), Japanese Brown (Akage), Japanese Polled (Mukaku Washu), and Japanese Shorthorn (Nihon Tankaku Washu).

What sets Wagyu apart from other beef types is its exceptionally high level of marbling. The degree of marbling is a crucial determinant of the quality of Wagyu, leading to a velvety and tender texture unlike any other beef. This abundant fat distribution isn’t just a delight for the senses; it also contributes to Wagyu’s distinctive flavor.

This robust marbling renders Wagyu beef not just juicy but packed with rich, intense flavor. Unlike the saturated fat commonly found in other beef varieties, Wagyu is abundant in monounsaturated fatty acids, which are responsible for the melt-in-your-mouth sensation. When this beef is cooked, the fat slowly melts, basting the meat from the inside. This process amplifies its flavor profile and offers an indulgently unctuous experience. Wagyu beef is described as having a buttery, delicate flavor that lingers on the palate, an exceptional taste enhanced by sweet overtones due to the diet of grains the cattle are raised on.

Commonly, Wagyu is served in fine-dining establishments as steak or prepared in Japanese culinary techniques like shabu-shabu or sukiyaki where it’s lightly seared or slowly simmered to bring out its full potential. Due to the fat content, Wagyu needs minimal seasoning and benefits from simple preparation to allow its natural, full-bodied flavor to shine through.

Wagyu is often regarded as a luxury item due to its high cost, primarily attributed to its specialized breeding process. Japanese farmers are known for treating their cattle with an exceptional level of care. Some employ methods such as brushing the cows’ coats to increase blood flow and feeding them high-quality grain to increase marbling. The fact that the production is so meticulously controlled, paired with high global demand and limited supply, is reflected in the price.

In addition to its luxurious cost, Wagyu is prized for its outstanding taste and quality. Eating Wagyu beef isn’t merely having a meal; it’s a sensational dining experience that arouses the palate with every rich, buttery bite, rendering this beef a pinnacle of culinary achievement. With its robust flavor, delicate texture, and unrivaled richness, Wagyu beef is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of meat cuisine.

Cultured meat industry at crossroads after removal from restaurants

In recent years, three companies in the world received permission to market cultured meat, and offered dishes in a limited quantity in only 3 restaurants. Recently, all restaurants stopped offering these dishes to the public. The industry itself is at a crossroads, and has to struggle with high production costs and the inability to increase the scale of production.

Cultured meat companies have raised a lot of capital in recent years with the aim of offering consumers new products containing animal cells grown in a laboratory.
So far, two companies in the world have managed to approve their products for consumption in two countries, and have offered cultured chicken products in three restaurants – two in the U.S. and one in Singapore.
However, in recent months, all the restaurants removed the dishes from the menus and stopped offering them to customers.
In January, the Israeli Ministry of Health granted its first approval to the cultured meat product of startup Aleph Farms, and it will be able to offer it to the public after completing all the regulatory approvals. But like its competitors, it will also have to overcome the significant difficulties facing the industry and the big questions about its ability to grow.

Victory for Europe’s protesting farmers as Brussels backs down on net zero

The European Union has caved in to angry protests from farmers, cutting its target to scrap specific agricultural emissions which formed part of the bloc’s net zero drive.

A demand to reduce nitrogen, methane and other emissions linked to farming by almost a third has been removed from a wider Brussels plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent by 2040.

On Tuesday, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, offered a further concession to demonstrating farmers by dropping her controversial proposal to halve pesticide use within six years.

A recommendation urging EU citizens to eat less meat was also removed from the plan.

Organisers have threatened to continue disruption in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections in June.

 

Argentina exported 682,000 tons of beef last year, mostly to China

Argentina is forecasted to increase 5,1% beef and calf production this year, reaching some 3,3 million tons with a domestic consumption of 2.43 million tons, according to the latest report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This follows on a record beef exports 2023, 682.000 tons, despite government measures and export levies aimed at curbing prices in the home market in an election year.

The beef shipments (bone-in and boneless) of 682,000 tons, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries of Argentina were collected by the consultancy Safras & Mercado. The volume is 7.7% higher than the 633,000 tons exported in 2022.

“This growth trend is closely tied to China, which bought 73% of boneless meat and virtually all bone-in meat sold by Argentina,” said analyst Fernando Iglesias from Safras & Mercado.

Argentina caters to a different Chinese demand than Brazil’s: the exported animals are mostly cull females aged over 40 months. Brazilian livestock farmers are required to supply young animals as old as 30 months to the Chinese market.

Local analysts agree that one of the factors that allowed Argentina to export more was a “discreet” increase in local production, according to the analyst.

However, “the deterioration of the purchasing power of the Argentine population reduces the ability to keep meat in the domestic market,” said Hyberville Neto, director of the consultancy HN Agro.

 

MercoPress

Beef recalled due to incorrect use-by dates

A second recall of beef products on the Isle of Man was due to an issue with use-by dates, the Isle of Man’s meat plant has confirmed.

The environment department ordered Isle of Man Meats to destroy more products last week, following an investigation after an earlier recall in January.

The government-owned firm, which is run at arm’s length, said there was “no concern” the goods were “contaminated”.

Some products had been on sale at Tesco and customers have been urged to check and return the items where necessary.

Isle of Man Meats, which runs the island’s abattoir, destroyed some products as a “precautionary measure” after production delays were caused by a machine breakdown between Christmas and early January.

In a statement, Isle of Man Meats said it wanted to “add some clarity” to the Defa announcement, which had cited concerns about processing practices.

The company confirmed all the recalled items were from the same batch – batch 19625 – and included minced and diced beef with use-by dates between 5 and 7 February, and carvery joints with the use-by date of 20 February.

Isle of Man Meats chairman Nigel Davis said the firm had “been undergoing a transformation programme”, which had seen “some significant changes at the plant” since early 2023.

 

BBC News

French protests concern lamb exports but trade holds firm

UK lamb prices are holding up, despite major protests by farmers in France who have been blocking roads, which has disrupted British lamb exports heading to the Continent.

The GB deadweight lamb SQQ increased by 23.6p/kg on the week to 631.8p/kg, with lower throughputs at abattoirs.

Prices at auction markets were also up, with the liveweight SQQ at 296.2p/kg for the week to 27 January.

Auctioneers say while finished prices have been strong in the past week, supply could catch up with demand if retail markets remain quiet and export markets stay disrupted.

Rizvan Khalid, managing director at Shropshire-based exporter Euro Quality Lambs, told Farmers Weekly the French protests had already had an effect on logistics, with at least one lorry missing its delivery.

As a result of the protests, there are currently fewer buyers at Rungis International Market in Paris, which is affecting sales, according to Mr Khalid.

 

Charlie Reeve | Farmers Weekly

Post-Brexit controls on food and farm imports start

Post-Brexit controls on food, plant and animal imports to Britain from the EU have come into force.

Health certificates will now be required on EU goods ranging from cut flowers, to fresh produce including meat, fruit and vegetables.

Some industry bodies raised concerns the rules could cause delays and push up costs, but others said they would help UK farmers be more competitive.

The government said its border model would “minimise burdens for traders”.

The UK left the EU exactly four years ago, but it has taken some time for the government to implement new trade rules – legally required under the Brexit agreement – for goods travelling from the EU to the UK.

The implementation of the changes has been delayed five times, in part to give businesses time to prepare and to reduce disruption to supply chains. The new border checks will also be phased in over the next year, with physical checks starting from 30 April.

The physical checks down the line have prompted fears of disruption to business supply chains. For example, lorries carrying goods could be stopped at ports to ensure they have the correct documentation. Concerns remain that extra checks will see import costs for businesses rise, and in turn prices for consumers.

But from Wednesday, the main change is the introduction of “export health certificates” on imports of “medium risk” animal products, as well as plants and plant products imported to Britain from the EU. The trade rules cover goods ranging from cut flowers, to cheese, fish and meats.

 

Michael Race | BBC News

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