Imported beef

collie

Member
Just been to Costco and they have US ribeye steaks right in the middle of their meat counter.
I hadn’t realised they could import from there yet!
Just another dig at home producers I think.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
If we werent deducted money for older slower grown larger cattle we could produce the big tasty steaks like south america produce. Hardly fair to knock our beef when we produce it with our hands tied behind our backs. Perhaps thats the plan , force us via price to fatten young cattle too quick on meal producing tastless dense beef which people moan about and then use that excuse to source foreign grass fed matured beef without any of the in-spec penalties and rave about the taste. You couldnt make it up.
 

Banana Bar

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bury St Edmunds
If we werent deducted money for older slower grown larger cattle we could produce the big tasty steaks like south america produce. Hardly fair to knock our beef when we produce it with our hands tied behind our backs. Perhaps thats the plan , force us via price to fatten young cattle too quick on meal producing tastless dense beef which people moan about and then use that excuse to source foreign grass fed matured beef without any of the in-spec penalties and rave about the taste. You couldnt make it up.

I’m not knocking our beef and agree that we all have our hands tied. I still maintain that the threat from US beef ( and chicken ) is enormous without factoring in the taste / tenderness advantage. I’ve just been informed that we shall be having English beef for lunch tomorrow.

BB
 

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
They breed beef for marbling and tenderness in america that makes a huge difference. I think they get a bonus for eating quality whereas here we are paid more or confirmation via the europ grid. The world has moved on and we have been left behind unfortunatley. At least the genetics alreadt exist we could breed it into our cattle quite easily with american genetics but it would probably take 10 years at least before the bulls were readily available. But it will never happen until we are paid for eating quality and still paid a premium only for confirmation.
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
They breed beef for marbling and tenderness in america that makes a huge difference. I think they get a bonus for eating quality whereas here we are paid more or confirmation via the europ grid. The world has moved on and we have been left behind unfortunatley. At least the genetics alreadt exist we could breed it into our cattle quite easily with american genetics but it would probably take 10 years at least before the bulls were readily available. But it will never happen until we are paid for eating quality and still paid a premium only for confirmation.

US steak have been shear tested (for tenderness) for the last 20+ years.


This AHBD video explains the test. It makes me sad that it’s over 2 years old and has less than 1500 views.

US bulls can have a tenderness EBV, which was originally calculated from carcass testing progeny, but can now be down via DNA testing.

In my view the EUROP grid has been hugely damaging for the profitability of beef and sheep production in the UK.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
They breed beef for marbling and tenderness in america that makes a huge difference. I think they get a bonus for eating quality whereas here we are paid more or confirmation via the europ grid. The world has moved on and we have been left behind unfortunatley. At least the genetics alreadt exist we could breed it into our cattle quite easily with american genetics but it would probably take 10 years at least before the bulls were readily available. But it will never happen until we are paid for eating quality and still paid a premium only for confirmation.
Tin hat on but American genetics are already here. Leachman has been breeding Stabiliser cattle in America with an eye on marbling/ tenderness for years and those genetics have been available here for some time.

But I'm sure some of our own traditional breeds would compete well if hung properly etc.
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
Tin hat on but American genetics are already here. Leachman has been breeding Stabiliser cattle in America with an eye on marbling/ tenderness for years and those genetics have been available here for some time.

But I'm sure some of our own traditional breeds would compete well if hung properly etc.

Some of the best beef I’ve eaten recently has been beef Shorthorn from a Yorkshire hill.
 

Blaithin

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Alberta
I’m ready to be shot down, Stormzy stab vest is on.
I bet they will be excellent. Best steaks I’ve ever had have been in the US or South America, is it the way it’s cooked or grown ( hormones )? I fear once the general UK populace eat US ref they won’t want UK beef until it tastes the same.
Hormones don’t have anything to do with it, those just affect conversion rates.

You want beef like America then finish it on rations like feedlots do. 6+ months of 85% grain and anything will have the fat of a whale. People can say it’s genetics as much as they want but there is a large portion of mongrel, mutt, commercial farms here that run a mixing pot of breeds. Yet those mixing pots can all get put together in even more mixed pens at feedlots and still finish as consistent products. Don’t think there’s any regulations there that stop this kind of finishing? Just the products that can save on conversion - like implants and beta agonists.

Other things said on this thread that can be put paid to:

Most beef in this hemisphere isn’t hung. There’s no space for the time it takes.

Some of the biggest and best breeds the market wants here are traditional British breeds. Their lines have evolved, yes, but they’re still British breeds.

Can’t reliably say how S America produces beef however I’m fairly sure it’s similar to N America and here you get discounted for anything over 30 months. Just recently I believe it’s Japan that has lifted that on Canadian beef in some way.
 
Location
Cleveland
Anything I read seems to be adlib. Adlib does not necessarily equal high diet percentage. Can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone talking about finishing stores who’ve mentioned an actual percentage of grain.

Also seems to be a large number of potato references.
I would say most cattle would be finished on a high grain and Maize diet with some sort of protein added
A lot of large finishers will be on a TMR of silage straw barley wheat maize potatoes ect
Personally I just feed ad-lib barley with protein silage and straw and they please themselves
 

Blaithin

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Alberta
Anyone who’s seen the recipe for feedlot rations can tell you how far they push the line. UK farmers may run into issues with abx in feed as the reason those are used here is to limit liver abscesses due to such high grain diets.

When I was at the feedlot the starter ration was silage and DDG with a bit of straw and grain. Every five days that ration would change and by the time the cattle were in for 25 days they had three ingredients. Grain, DDG and a bit of straw. That’s it. The use of DDG let them be fed less grain so anything I seen probably topped out at 70-75% barley or wheat. In places where there’s less DDG available they can easily be in the 85-90% range. The cattle don’t get a choice, they just get grained.

Like I said, would put fat on anything.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Anyone who’s seen the recipe for feedlot rations can tell you how far they push the line. UK farmers may run into issues with abx in feed as the reason those are used here is to limit liver abscesses due to such high grain diets.

When I was at the feedlot the starter ration was silage and DDG with a bit of straw and grain. Every five days that ration would change and by the time the cattle were in for 25 days they had three ingredients. Grain, DDG and a bit of straw. That’s it. The use of DDG let them be fed less grain so anything I seen probably topped out at 70-75% barley or wheat. In places where there’s less DDG available they can easily be in the 85-90% range. The cattle don’t get a choice, they just get grained.

Like I said, would put fat on anything.
You are payed for tenderness/ eating quality, yes?
We are payed on a "europ" grid that rewards carcass shape (which may be skeletal shape as much as meat yield). It also penalises (heavily) anything over fat. The videos / pics I've seen of finished suckler bred cattle in America show a level of fat that would be heavily penalised here. But I have no direct experience.
That is why traditional breeds fell out of favour here, though there is a realisation that they still have something to offer and various schemes and niche markets now encourage them again, along with their ability to finish off grass.
Most cattle here wouldn't be hung here either, I just mentioned it because there's no doubt it improves flavour, and many who deal in direct sales would see the benefits.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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