Morrisons champions traditional cattle breeds (From Craven Herald)

Morrisons champions traditional cattle breeds

2:07pm Thursday 29th September 2011 in Countryfile

Traditional and native cattle breeders are being encouraged to back a series of high-profile store cattle sales across the UK – among them a standalone fixture to run alongside a major autumn beef breeding event at Skipton Auction Mart Bradford-based Wm Morrison Supermarkets is supporting 12 specialist store sales up and down the country as it champions the cause of some of Britain’s best-known traditional and native cattle breeds. It includes a specific sale for native breeds at Skipton’s annual multi-breeds beef cattle highlight on Wednesday, October 12.

Andrew Loftus, operations manager with Morrisons, said: “We have just launched an incentive targeting UK farmers who rear traditional and native cattle breeds, through which we will pay a 10p premium for native breeds and native breed-crosses and a 20p premium for Beef Shorthorn or Shorthorn-crosses.

“We have around 1,200 farmer suppliers across the UK and source some 3,500 prime cattle every single week. We are now looking to supplement these with up to 300 traditional and native breeds cattle on a weekly basis.

“We want to get as many of our finishers as possible around the ring buying native breeds cattle at these special sales, including Skipton.”

Entries for the Skipton sale close on Wednesday and Skipton Auction Mart’s general manager Jeremy Eaton is hoping it will create keen interest among potential vendors right across the region.

He said: “We welcome Morrisons’ support and their ground-breaking efforts to boost the appeal of our great British breeds among UK farmers. This special fixture purposely targets native cattle breeds eligible for the Morrisons’ scheme and they will be promoting it extensively among their finishers, who we look forward to seeing at the ringside.”

There’s also another important native breeds event at Skipton the following month, the second annual show and sale of pedigree beef Shorthorn bulls and females, staged on behalf of The Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society, on Wednesday, November 9, for which entries close on Wednesday. October 12.