LMC Report 'Sets Scene For Future'
UK - Livestock and Meat Commission chief executive David Rutledge has told Farming Life that the final report from thre Redmeat Task Force Report, now expected during the first half of October, will make a real difference in terms of setting out the future for the local beef and sheep sectors.
3 September 2007
1 minute read
"Every effort has been made to investigate and analyse the many challenges facing the livestock producers, processers and retailers. And all of this will be become very apparent, once the report has been put into the public domain," he added.
David Rutledge was speaking at the launch of the Commission's annual report for the year ending March 31 2007. The publication confirms that during this twelve month period farm gate prices for prime cattle improved by 6%. The average return received by farmers was £1.93 per kilo of carcase weight. This compares with £1.82 for 2005/06. According to David Rutledge, this improvement was helped by the year-on-year decline of 7% in Northern Ireland's clean cattle kill.
The past year also saw prices for good quality beef cows increasing. They averaged £1.45 per kilo of carcase weight, which represents a 7% increase on the average of £1.35, paid in 2005 (post OTM).
For sheep there was a 10% increase in the total lamb and hogget kill in 2006/07, compared with the previous year, and the average farm gate price rose by 4% to £2.45 per kilo of carcase weight. The fat ewe kill showed an ever more significant increase with numbers more than doubling over 2005 levels. Yet prices recovered 8% to just under £21 form just under £20 in 2005.
