NFU Livestock Chief’s Enthusiasm for the Future

UK - Speaking at the NFU Cymru Pembrokeshire conference recently, Alistair Mackintosh, the NFU Livestock Board Chairman, spoke about his enthusiasm for the livestock industry and his passion and motivation to improve the industry to make a better future for the next generation of farmers.
calendar icon 26 January 2011
clock icon 2 minute read
National Farmers Union

Mr Mackintosh told Pembrokeshire farmers that his drive to get up every morning and fight for a bright future for the livestock industry is the need to leave a successful legacy behind for all the farmers’ sons and daughters that will take over the business one day.

“An example of how change is possible is the sales of mince. The NFU Livestock Board kept telling the processors that they were not making enough use of mince and that there was elasticity in the price. Processors and retailers were adamant it would never happen. Finally they listened, and we now see the consumption of beef has risen by 12% in the last 18 months and that’s purely down to sales of mince. It has also become a tiered product - you can still get mince for £1.50 but you can also get a £3 option and a £4 top of the range option.”

Mr Mackintosh, however, recognised that primal cuts of beef are currently overhanging the market and distorting it – holding back the opportunity for a fairer price.

Mr Mackintosh also told Pembrokeshire farmers about the tremendous opportunities for livestock producers with the huge increases in world population that he is constantly reading about. He said, “Everyone aspires to eat red meat, it is the protein of choice, exports will be a key factor in building a brighter future for livestock farmers.”

“I appreciate other industry sectors such as milk would love to be able to have the opportunities for export that we have for beef and lamb because without the option of exporting you are tied to the domestic retail market and its prices. Thankfully, with the beef and lamb industries there are huge potential export markets emerging in countries such as China, India and Russia. The problem is every other country is also looking at these markets, particularly north and south America, to sell their product. With livestock numbers decreasing in Ireland, France and Spain I believe the UK has the potential to deliver on behalf of the European market.”

David James, the new NFU Cymru County Chairman in Pembrokeshire said, “Thank you to Mr Mackintosh for giving such a positive message on the future of red meat production and for explaining the hard work that is done by the Union on behalf of livestock producers. My thanks also go to HSBC Bank Plc for sponsoring the event.”

TheCattleSite News Desk

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.