The Farmers Mart Apr/May 2014 - Issue 33 | Page 35

Cogent’s new beef range
makes strong case for AI in
the suckler herd
Cattle breeding company, Cogent, may
be best known as a specialist in dairy
genetics, but while the company’s dairy
bulls have been stealing the limelight,
its beef portfolio has been quietly
growing like Topsy, almost behind the
scenes.
Today, there are over 60 bulls representing 16 breeds in the Cogent Signature
Beef range, many of which have come
together in the company’s 2014 brochure.
“This is the biggest and best Signature
Beef Brochure we have ever produced,”
says Gareth Scott, beef sales manager
for Cogent, “and we firmly believe it’s the
most diverse offering the UK farmer has
ever had.”
The brochure represents the company’s
belief in using AI on the suckler herd
which can achieve significantly greater
physical and financial performance by
using the highest genetic merit sires.
“Beef production remains a challenging

sector, with high input costs and a
variable market price so we firmly believe
that the way to improve margins is to aim
for the top of the market,” he says.
“However, the type of bull with which this
can be achieved is often priced in the
tens of thousands of pounds, which could
rarely be justified in a typical commercial
or pedigree suckler herd.”
The argument for