Article courtesy of Irish Examiner, Farm Exam Supplement, May 2010

Profit margins are always in the forefront of any farmer’s mind and for any herd owners with Angus (and Angus Cross) cattle, here is an opportunity to get more money for your product.

The Certified Angus Beef Scheme is open to application from farmers who currently have Angus cattle which meet it’s criteria. Many farmers who have Angus cross cattle are already eligible for the scheme and will simply need to apply to be certified in order to receive an extra 10 cents per kilogram premium for all eligible cattle.

Farmers choose Angus cattle for a number of reasons. As well as being an excellent choice for quality meat, they are hardy animals and have good breeding traits. They also do not need any specialised diet and are very suitable for our grass based systems here in Ireland. Angus cattle are often cross bred in Irish herds to reduce difficult calving and as a way of avoiding the task of dehorning. This breed is also very quiet and easy to handle and they finish at a young age without the need to use vast amounts of meal. For these reasons and for their value as a quality source of beef many Irish suckler farmers choose Angus bulls.

Angus beef is reliably succulent and the production methods for this product do not require forced or unnatural feeding which may be needed in other breeds to achieve the marbling and texture associated with Angus beef. The reason that Angus beef is so tender is due to its special genetic properties. Angus cattle share a gene which is known to inhibit muscle growth, meaning that Angus beef is more marbled. This marbling tends to be more finely textured than other breeds so the meat is more likely to be tender when compared to other breeds.

Herd owners of Angus cattle can secure a premium for their product if they become a member of the Irish Angus Producer Group. Traceability is an important selling factor for Irish Beef and adding to this, the label of certified Angus Beef is a good way of ensuring that retailers can sell this as a premium product. It’s good news for consumers too as the certification of their beef products means that they have a guarantee that the product is Angus beef, a product they recognise as being of the highest quality.

Certified Angus beef comes from Angus cross cattle sired by a purebred Angus bull on any breed of cow i.e. FR, CH, LIM, SIM, HER etc. which are fed on grass diets supplemented with native forage and cereals during winter. All cattle can be traced to farms of origin and all beef is matured to specification.

Farmers who wish to join the Certified Irish Angus Beef scheme only have a few eligibility criteria to fulfil in order to receive the benefit of extra payment for their carcasses.

Their animals must be:

• Sired by a registered purebred Angus Bull or by registered Angus AI straw
• Polled
• A minimum of 70 days in the vendor’s herd
• From a farm that is a member of the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme
• Declared on the identity cards as being Angus or Angus Cross

Many farmers will already be eligible based on these criteria and can apply straight away to join the scheme. In fact Charles Smith, Manager of the Certified Angus Beef Scheme is concerned that although there are plenty of Angus cattle in the country, many farmers are not taking up the option of joining the scheme. Therefore they are not availing of the premium that their animals can fetch.

A 10c per kg premium will be paid on all eligible carcasses and it is expected that this 10 cents per kg premium will be increased to 15 cents per kg during off peak periods.

The quality of the Irish Angus Beef has enabled meat processors AIBP to offer premium prices to certified Angus Beef producers. AIBP is the Irish Meat Division of Irish Food Processor Group and is Europe’s leading meat processor. They have developed a partnership with the Irish Aberdeen Angus Producer Group to source certified Angus beef which is then sold to premium retail and restaurant outlets in Ireland and internationally. These products will be found for example in the Tesco ‘Finest’ range which is available prepackaged and at butcher counters in Tesco stores. The beef for these ranges is supplied directly from AIBP’s Bandon plant which means that there is a demand for Angus cross cattle from the Munster area in particular.