Cattle Trimmed to Meet Demand for Easy Beef
AUSTRALIA - Growing consumer demand for quick and easy cuts of beef plus a struggling export market have led to tough new weight restrictions on trade cattle at this year’s Perth Royal Show.
2 October 2007
1 minute read
“The days of people having cold, leftover meat are over.”
Ned Borrello, of Borrello Beef
Mini-roasts and smaller-sized steaks for children have become popular with busy households wanting a quick meal on a tight budget.
While commercial cattle at the Show have weighed more than 600kg in past years, the heaviest contender this year was just 496kg.
Processor and wholesaler Ned Borrello, of Borrello Beef, said while bigger beef cuts remained popular in the restaurant business, customers at the supermarkets or butchers were looking for a more affordable option.
“The big cuts naturally cost more,” he said. “Buying for the whole family, you can’t afford to give each of the kids a whopping big T-bone steak.”
Show section councillor-in-charge and industry stalwart Hugh Warden said the move to limit cattle weights had proved controversial among breeders but the new weights best reflected changing buying trends.
Source: The West Australian
