The Farmers Mart Apr/May 2015 - Issue 39 | Page 61

Cattle

Aberdeen-Angus
increases influence on
British beef industry
»»The Aberdeen-Angus
breed has again increased its
influence on the British beef
industry, cementing its position
as the most popular native
beef breed sire in the UK.More
than 17% of all beef breed sired
calves registered with the
British Cattle Movement Service

in 2014 are sired by AberdeenAngus bulls. As well as being
the most popular native sire,
the breed is the country’s
second most popular beef
breed overall and increased
its influence on BCMS calf
registrations by 9% on 2013 to a
total of 296,125.

Aberdeen-Angus
Cattle Society chief
executive Ron
McHattie says: “Importantly, it
is being driven by a demand
for Aberdeen-Angus sired
beef from consumers. Angus
beef is now being sold in more
major retail chains than ever

Major beef breed registrations in 2013 & 2014
2013

2014

%Change

Aberdeen-Angus

271,562

296,125

+9%

Hereford

83,110

92,897

+11.8%

British Blue

144,830

149,338

+3.1%

Charolais

196,073

189,308

-3.5%

Limousin

497,323

486,218

-2.2%

Simmental

140,399

138,990

-1%

before and that, coupled with
demand from the butcher and
catering sectors, is resulting
in an increasing volume being
required by processors.
“This in turn is resulting in
premium prices in both prime
and store cattle sales rings and
rewards those producers who
have chosen to use AberdeenAngus sires in the suckler and
dairy herds.”
It is also an acknowledgment
of the hard work done by UK
breeders to produce modern
bulls of the type required by the
commercial beef sector.

www.farmers-mart.co.uk Apr/May 2015 61