£100 a Head Lost for Every Cattle Finished
UK - Due to the increasing cost of feed and fuel UK beef farmers are now reporting a loss of almost £100 a head on every finished animal.
16 July 2008
1 minute read
These losses are being racked up despite higher prices for beef cattle, SAC beef specialist Ian Pritchard told beef farmers yesterday at an open day on the farm of Bruce and George Walker at Newton of Lewesk, Old Rayne.
According to the Aberdeen Press and Journal, Mr Pritchard said the costings were based on figures supplied by the 16 farmers in the Quality Meat Scotland-sponsored North East Focus on Finishing Group who between them finished more than 15,000 cattle a year.
“These figures are not plucked out of the air but are actual, up-to-date costings which accurately reflect what is happening at the present time,” the news agency heard Mr Pritchard say.
“Many beef farmers are not aware of how much money they are losing because they don’t do the sums. The finishing group has been established to monitor the financial performance of beef units and the figures will be presented to supermarkets to help them understand the economic pressures farmers are under.”
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