Foot & mouth disease in East Asia
[30/04/2010]

Climate change in a climate of change
[02/03/2010]

ILDEX Vietnam 2010 - the solutions for Vietnam’s sustainable growth
[02/03/2010]

UK Sheep meat exports pass the £300 million mark in 2009
[02/03/2010]

Certification Updates
[27/02/2010]

Global Food prices up again according to FAO
[08/02/2010]

New logo selected for all EU organic products
[08/02/2010]

EBLEX beef and sheep roadmap to livestock emissions reductions
[08/02/2010]

Outlook Conference diary alert
[08/02/2010]

Record entries for National All Breeds Show promise a spectacle to dispel the February blues
[08/02/2010]

Make a date: British Cattle Conference 24-26 January 2011
[08/02/2010]

A very merry Christmas (and good year) for British pork sales, at home & abroad
[08/02/2010]

Paris in the Springtime
[07/02/2010]

Aberdeen-Angus semen heads for Estonia
[05/02/2010]

Lloyds TSB Agriculture continues sponsorship of Beef Expo in May
[05/02/2010]

British Blue, British Charolais and British Limousin beef semen exports to USA ...... and Denmark
[05/02/2010]

New JSR International Sales Director
[05/02/2010]

Dairy Burke Trophy moves to new National All Breeds Show
[04/02/2010]

New British semen storage and distribution unit opens
[04/02/2010]

JSR in the Ukraine
[08/12/2009]

Spring into Spring - EBLEX export marketing push
[08/12/2009]

New National All Breeds Show 2010
[08/12/2009]

Male sexed Limousin semen - another ‘world first’ for Crawford Brothers
[04/12/2009]

A Sustainable Breeding Future - British Cattle Conference 25-27 January, 2010
[03/12/2009]

Au revoir and bienvenue to Herefords as they head from England to France
[02/12/2009]

Cogent expansion: commitment and optimism for UK cattle genetics’ future
[01/12/2009]

New Genus ABS appointments in Europe and UK
[01/12/2009]

New British owned AI company launched
[01/12/2009]

British Blues join Semenstore.co.uk
[01/12/2009]

Mad for Madison
[23/09/2009]

New British Angus company launched in response
[23/09/2009]

IndAgra-Farm - UK’s livestock breeding sector are there for business!
[23/09/2009]

Where Asia’s feed, livestock and meat industry do business
[21/09/2009]

National Ploughing Championships 2009
[21/09/2009]

Limousin ‘Goldies Terence’ semen exported to Norway, Finland and Australia
[21/09/2009]

Positive signs for English pig sector
[21/09/2009]

Defra minister to open the Dairy Event and Livestock Show
[08/09/2009]

JSR continues global expansion
[02/09/2009]

World record price for a sheep
[31/08/2009]

Cows for Cambodia!
[28/08/2009]

Cutting edge agricultural research under microscope
[26/08/2009]

GB Bulls Open Day and NEW August DVD now available
[25/08/2009]

Portuguese Pig Producers Choose UK Breeding Stock
[25/08/2009]

Picston Shottle celebrates his tenth birthday
[25/08/2009]

Agriscot - the UK's No 1 Farm Business Event
[25/08/2009]

Strong British team at Expointer
[25/08/2009]

The Dairy Event and Livestock Show 2009
[13/08/2009]

A strong technical team helping the British pig industry
[13/08/2009]

BEEF EXPO 2010 is at Hexham
[12/08/2009]

AHDB appoints new EBLEX director
[12/08/2009]

Expointer And 100 Years of Devons in Brazil
[10/08/2009]

New export initiatives for livestock & meat sectors
[27/07/2009]

EBLEX and BPEX relocate to Stoneleigh
[27/07/2009]

News on latest meat sector economics publications & services
[23/07/2009]

Pig campaign wins major international awards
[29/05/2009]

Doors open for lamb exports to United Arab Emirates
[06/04/2009]

World Shorthorn Conference 2010 – A world of opportunity in the home of the breed
[23/03/2009]

Pig export news from ACMC
[23/03/2009]

UK’s Beef and Lamb exports up
[05/03/2009]

Breeding polled cattle made easier
[05/03/2009]

British pork exports hit £160million
[20/02/2009]

Genus expands business in China
[20/02/2009]

'Positive future' for dairy industry
[23/01/2009]

British Limousin Pedigree sales in 2008 exceed £5 million
[15/01/2009]

2008 Archive

2007 Archive

2006 Archive

2005 Archive

2004 Archive

After a period of depression, the future looks brighter for both the beef and sheep sectors at the moment, driven by strong export demand. Rob Wills, BLG's Executive Manager, said: "The vitality of markets in Britain depends fundamentally on an open market where competition can bring appropriate returns to producers. It is incumbent on our Government to help the industry export and do all in its power to reopen markets for livestock, genetics and meat that have been closed to us since the FMD virus leak from Government premises in Surrey last year."

One-third more fresh and frozen UK beef was exported during January and February than in the same period of 2007 according to the Economics team of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Meat Services (successors to MLC). The fall in the value of the pound sterling in this period against the euro has also helped. In addition, UK cattle numbers fell by two per cent from a year earlier, leading to tightening supplies and higher prices.

Margins in the beef industry remain tight, but if cattle prices continue to rise, the rate of decline may well slow - at least in the short term. Beef from the UK is expected to remain in demand, as the fall in cattle numbers means that slaughterings are forecast around four per cent lower this year.

The number of sheep in the UK rose in the December 2007 survey, driven by a rise in the number of lambs under one year old. 2008 slaughterings are consequently forecast higher and this increased availability of supplies is expected to help support a rise in sheep meat exports. Lower production levels in some EU member states will also boost demand for British lamb.

AHDB Economics team Business Support Manager Jonathan Eckley said: "The availability of cow beef and favourable exchange rates saw a 42 per cent rise in shipments to the Netherlands during January and February and exports to Ireland nearly doubled during the same period, compared with the same two months of last year. If sterling remains weak, UK exports should remain competitive on the EU market."

Cattle Market Outlook and Sheep Market Outlook are quarterly publications from the Economics division, which review developments in those sectors and provide short-term forecasts for herd numbers and production. Annual subscriptions are available from as little as £36. For further details and to order, contact jayne.dines@ahdbms.org.uk

[01/05/2008]