Beef Expo NI showcases industry

Editorial Department • Published 11 Mar 2010 09:00 0 Comments

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Food security for Northern Ireland consumers is something which beef farmers should be supporting, according to the Northern Ireland Chairman of the National Beef Association, Mr. Oisin Murnion.

He was speaking at the launch of Beef Expo NI at Dungannon Farmers' Mart last week when thousands of farmers from around the Province and Republic attended a series of workshops and talks and viewed numerous trade stands.

It was the first major event of its kind in years.

Mr. Murnion said the NBA wants to get to grips with assisting in the delivery of genuine food security for Northern Ireland's consumers by producing as much beef as possible while at the same time ensuring that production standards are entirely compatible with fully understandable public demands for the cleanest possible air, water and soil.

He added, "Which means one very damaging myth must be very firmly killed off and buried. This industry can often attract unfounded criticism and claims that beef production is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, sits firmly in this category."

"It is of course nonsense because grass, which forms the basis of cattle diets in summer, and provides silage in winter, soaks up carbon from the atmosphere which is neutralised after being stored in the soil."

"Cattle eat grass, which humans cannot do, converting it into a valuable protein which forms an essential part of a balanced diet. But if all grass pasture was ploughed up to grow other crops, including vegetables, the carbon release off land which currently carries cattle would be much greater than it is now."

"Cattle do produce methane, but their role in maintaining vast tracts of grass pasture to soak up carbon means greenhouse gas emissions surrounding the beef sector are neutral at worst - with many scientists arguing that more GHGs are soaked up by pasture than cattle could ever release."

"To help maintain the beneficial presence of cattle in Northern Ireland, the NBA, which firmly believes that beef farmers must be properly represented on all government-industry stakeholder groups, will also be looking to secure the best possible deal for active Northern Ireland farmers in forthcoming CAP reform negotiations," Mr Murnion added.

He also spoke about the importance of an all-island animal health plan for farmers.

He said Northern Ireland's beef farmers have already established their readiness to look ahead, in this instance by offering consumers a high integrity product, because 92 per cent of their cattle already meet farm quality assurance standards - which according to the LMC is a record high for a domestic scheme.

More than 2,600 farmers and their families attended Beef Expo 2010 which showcased beef production and included a breed society stand competition won by the British Limousin Society.

The Agriculture Minister, Michelle Gildernew attending the event, praised the National Beef Association for organising it and bringing many parts of the industry together.

She said, "This is the first time that the Beef Expo has been held in the north and I am very proud that my officials have been able to provide assistance in the delivery of this event. The seminar programme provided those attending with access to a wealth of information. This ranged from business to marketing to technical issues, which could assist with the continual improvement of their businesses."

The Minister added: "The beef industry is one of the most important sectors of our agricultural industry with output from beef farms worth £328 million last year. Locally processed beef and lamb sales account for almost 24% of our total food and drink processing sector.

"My Department continues to provide a range of support measures to assist the industry and provides practical advice to help producers make informed decisions about their businesses. I also wish to commend the organisers for their efforts in setting up this year's Beef Expo in Dungannon, which has been a great success."

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 11 Mar 10

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