09 July 2004
Britain’s
leading beef breed will be focusing on progress and development
at a major conference to be held during next month’s International
Limousin Congress.
ILC 2004 takes place in Scotland, England and Wales on August 1-13 and has already
signed up more than 300 overseas delegates. The ILC programme includes a national
show with the largest ever entry for a single breed in the UK, an elite sale
of cattle and genetics, a series of herd visits and a full programme of social
events.
The technical conference, scheduled for Saturday, August 7 at the Rheged Centre,
Penrith, will give delegates an opportunity to hear the views of some of Britain’s
top experts on genetics, feeding, animal health and beef marketing.
Entitled “Limousin-The Future”, the conference will examine the progress
made by the breed since it was first imported in 1970 and look at future development.
Limousins now account for 37% of the 1.9 million beef cattle registered by the
British Cattle Movement Service.
Setting the scene will be Dr Duncan Pullar, Beef and Sheep Technical Manager
at MLC. Genetics will be the subject for Professor Geoff Sim of SAC, Andy Forbes
of Merial Animal Health and Chris Warkup of Faraday Genesis Project.
Cliff Lister of Crystalyx will outline work on increasing the level of desirable
Omega 3 fatty acids in quality beef while Steve Feehan, Plant Manager, Anglo
Beef Processors and Paul Willgoss of Marks & Spencer, will look at the challenges
for producers, wholesalers and retailers in meeting market requirements post-CAP
reform.
Peter Alexander, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, will feature a personal case study
of the largest commercial Limousin enterprise in the UK and projecting what the
future holds for the next generation of Limousin breeders will be Daff Griffiths
from Wales and Stephane Demarre from France - a paper borne from the reciprocal
visits of young UK and French breeders in the past twelve months.
The concluding paper will be delivered by Iain Kerr, Chief Executive of the British
Limousin Cattle Society, organisers of ILC 2004.
He said: “The conference will be an invaluable source of information on
a wide range of technical issues. We anticipate some strong messages emerging,
not only for Limousin breeders, but for anyone involved in the business of beef
- from production right through to the retail counter.”
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