FARMING - Morrisons

SUMMER
2014
FARMING
MATTERS
Yearling Beef
Scheme extended
Full story on page 2
Your herd in your pocket
M
orrisons has launched a new
farming app for mobile phones to
make it easier for Morrisons suppliers
to access their cattle data on the move.
Morrisons is the first supermarket to create
and launch its own dedicated farming app.
It allows farmers to link into live BCMS
data, arrange their stock by field or pen
and register movements, births and deaths
all from their mobile phone or tablet. The
software can also automatically generate
and email the food chain information form
(FCI) required by all Woodheads abattoirs.
The new app can run on Apple or Android
operating systems, so is suitable for
iPhones, iPads and other smartphones
and tablets like the Samsung Galaxy or
Nokia Lumia. It even works in areas of
poor reception - all your changes are
remembered and sent off when the signal
is stronger.
As well as BCMS functionality, farmers can
order Caisley cattle tags directly through
the app, including Caisley’s innovative DNA
sampling tags, at a special discounted rate
with 24 hour dispatch.
Agriculture manager Andrew Loftus said:
“We’re delighted to be launching this new
farming app. The latest BCMS data will always
be at your fingertips for easy reference
and can be updated with a few easy clicks.
Ordering tags can also be done out in the
field, so it’s one less job at lunchtime!
“We will add new functions over time and
really look forward to your feedback.”
The app is free and available
for download now from your
app store, or by scanning the
QR code.
Inside:
• Live to dead events
• I’m cheaper
• Spring lamb update
Farmer profile
Ian Davidson
Farmers Weekly UK Pig Farmer
of the Year in 2013
Welcome to
Farming Matters
Ian supplies pigs to Woodheads’
Colne abattoir through Scottish Pig
Producers. Up to 160 pigs a week are
weaned on the 182ha farm at Oldmeldrum,
Aberdeenshire. The animals are separated
into batches of 40 and to reduce stress, they
stay in those groups until they are sold – a
move which has led to increased growth rates
while reducing staff workloads.
Joe Mannion, Head of Livestock Procurement,
introduces Farming Matters.
W
elcome to our summer newsletter.
Since our last edition we have announced
our “I’m cheaper” campaign which is
Morrisons’ £250 million annual commitment to
permanently lowering prices across 1200 key lines.
There is more about this on page 5.
Cattle prices continue to be the main talking point
within our industry with prices falling back weekly
since the start of 2014. Poor demand for beef,
especially forequarter cuts, and the importation of
Irish beef has put increased pressure on the British
cattle price. Morrisons remains 100% committed
to British beef and year to date Woodheads have
processed 6% more cattle than a year ago.
Our transition from old to new season lambs has
gone very well so far, helped by the mild weather.
We expect lambs to be in good supply this year
and are planning to increase the number of lambs
processed in both Colne and Turriff.
Our pork division has had a good first half of the
year with 720,000 pigs processed across Colne and
Spalding. We have invested over £4 million in a
new curing department at Spalding, with the aim to
produce more of the bacon and gammon we sell in
Morrisons. Currently Spalding produces 250 tonnes
of bacon per week.
Growth rates have been further helped by bringing
in new genetics that have enabled the removal
of antibiotic use. Nutrition has been adapted to
maximise lean growth time so the pigs receive their
specific mineral requirement and no inputs are
wasted.
Yearling Beef
Scheme extended
A
fter a successful first year, Morrisons’ Yearling
Beef Scheme has been extended to more breeds
and crosses.
The livestock team will be attending a number of
agricultural events over the coming months, so
please come and meet us there.
The initiative has the potential to enable up to 30%
more cows to be farmed on a given acreage and to boost
margins from finishing stock.
Let’s hope for a long, hot summer!
The scheme was created out of a relationship which
Morrisons forged with the Beef Improvement Group (BIG)
four years ago which aimed to develop more efficient and
sustainable supply chains of fresh beef.
I hope you enjoy reading this Farming Matters.
Joe Mannion
The Morrisons Farming Programme
has been awarded a ‘Big Tick’ by
Business in the Community (BITC).
This prestigious award in the Rural
Action category, recognises the
valuable contribution Morrisons makes
to Britain’s farming communities.
2
Morrisons FARMING MATTERS SUMMER 2014
The ‘yearling’ beef protocol is based on research which
demonstrates significant benefits and vastly improved net
margins from retaining male calves as entires, and combines
this with BIG’s long running work on identifying breeding
lines having the best net feed efficiency within beef herds.
The young bulls are slaughtered in a tight window
between 12 and 14 months which means the taste,
tenderness and succulence is comparable with that of
steers. However, steers might typically have been fed
for an additional 10 months and it is this which frees
up available grazing to carry more cows.
Another key element is the type of beast being used, the
requirement being a young bull that will make 320 to 370kg
dw in the required time frame, grade as a U- or R, and
have just the right amount of cover (4L).
Initially, the scheme suited Stabiliser-bred animals but it is
now clear that some other young bulls should be capable
of hitting the targets.
Ursula Taylor, marketing manager for the Beef
Improvement Group, said that last year, 70% of Stabiliserbred bulls consigned to Morrisons hit the required
specification.
“The focus now is also on building up numbers under
this particular initiative. Many BIG members have been
supplying Morrisons with Stabiliser-bred steers and heifers
for the past five years and most of those will commit all
their finished animals to the company.
“They clearly feel they are treated fairly and I think now,
with us being the first to secure a premium for young bulls
from any processor, there will be increasing interest in
this particular scheme,” she said.
It has had an impressive effect, with feed conversion
ratios hitting 2.29:1 and a deadweight of 84.7kg,
making the unit perform in the top 5% in the UK.
Meat sold per sow has also reached 2.19t while litter
sizes have increased by 1.5 pigs per sow to 27.44 pigs
per sow each year.
Meet the
team:
Rachel
Barnett
Rachel joined Morrisons
in 2011 to work on an IT
project based at the head
office. As part of this role,
Rachel co-ordinated the transition of all 4,000
direct livestock suppliers onto a new IT system.
She took up her role in the livestock admin team
in 2012, where she predominantly looked after the
processing of cattle payments and also managed
all new supplier set-up and much of the invoice
processing. Rachel has recently been promoted
to livestock co-ordinator and can be contacted
on 01282 729153.
3
Farmer profile
Spring
lamb
update
S
pring lamb production got underway earlier than
in previous years due to the high volume of lambs
available and to ensure that lambs were killed at the
optimum weight and fat cover. This season has seen lambs
of exceptional quality with a high percentage of lambs
making U grade.
Generally, lambs are sourced from Wales and southern
England in the early part of the season, and moving north
the UK into July and August. Having abattoirs in Lancashire
and Aberdeen allows for flexibility regarding where stock
is purchased, depending on the time of year.
The Woodheads fleet of ten livestock wagons transport the
majority of lambs early on in the season. Collection centres
are used to reduce journey times for stock and to be able
to offer competitive prices to all suppliers, irrespective of
whether they can fill a load or not.
Early sales indications have been very promising and are
running ahead of last year’s numbers. The team is working
hard to boost sales ahead of BBQ season by introducing
new product lines, for example the signature lamb burger,
and improving packaging.
Livestock buyer Caroline Gooch said: “Looking forward, we
are hopeful of a good year for lamb sales and that this will
result in Woodheads increasing the lamb kill year over year.”
For any lamb enquiries, please contact Caroline Gooch
for Colne on 07581482561 or Richard Henderson for
Turriff on 07885110762.
Roger and
Carol Donaldson
Possibly the only finishers committing all
three species to Woodheads ‘home’ site
at Colne, Lancashire, are North Yorkshire
farmers Roger and Carol Donaldson.
About 2,000 cattle each year and most of the lambs
from their 1,000-ewe flock are sold ‘on the hook’ to
Morrisons from their farm at Huby, along with about
500 pigs per week.
Mr Donaldson said: “If you are producing what is
wanted, it will pay well. We also make good use of
the feedback from the kill sheets.
“All in all I think you will do well to find a better
deadweight outlet elsewhere. I think Morrisons is
as loyal as any to British farmers.”
I’m cheaper
Morrisons’ biggest ever prices cuts were announced
and a brand new price transparency website was
launched at the start of May.
The new ‘I’m cheaper’ campaign means that products will
be permanently cheaper, with price reductions on 1,200
everyday essentials. The aim of this move is to reinforce
Morrisons’ credentials as a value-led grocer.
The reductions cover both own brand and branded
products which make up most of an average family’s
weekly shop. These latest changes follow earlier price
reductions on milk, fresh meat, fruit and vegetables.
One of the key areas for this new campaign is fresh
meat. In a period where a significant reduction has been
experienced in the raw material cost of beef, the saving is
being passed back to customers. It is hoped that making
products more affordable will drive volume forward and
increase throughput at the three Woodheads abattoirs.
Chief Executive Dalton Philips said: “We’re serious
about getting cheaper and setting new standards in
transparency of pricing. We want our customers to
be proud of the products they buy and be reassured
that they are cheaper. We have nothing to hide. That’s
because we’ve now launched our price checker site,
which allows customers to check prices compared
to what they were previously.”
Some of the headlines in fresh meat are:
Beef Ribeye Steak: Now £17.59, was £18.98p/kg
Beef Sirloin Steak: Now £17.59, was £20.00p/kg
Beef Topside Joint: Now £9.99, was £10.98p/kg
Boneless Leg of Pork Joint: Now £3.49, was £6.99
Boneless Pork Loin Joint: Now £5.99, was £9.29
The Donaldsons’ cattle are all bought as stores,
ideally at 15-20 months and most are finished inside
for five months or so on a maize silage, fodder beet,
barley and protein balancer diet with the aim to have
steers finishing about 400kg and heifers at 370kg.
The ewes are lambed in two batches of 500, firstly
the Suffolks out of Mules which are lambed to Texel
or Suffolk tups, and then in March, the Mules.
All lambs are creep-fed and most have gone by
mid-July. The Donaldsons feed their pigs carefully to
maintain what has been a consistent 95-98 per cent
Q-grade. Mr Donaldson says: “We buy quality feed,
not the cheapest, but what we have found produces
the results we want.”
Additional live to dead events
More dates have been announced for live to dead
events run by EBLEX and MLC Services Ltd at
Woodheads sites.
Due to the popularity of the cattle events held at both
Colne and Spalding abattoirs, more events are to be held:
· Sheep at Colne on Wednesday 23 July
· Cattle at Colne on Tuesday 22 July
· Cattle at Spalding on Thursday 31 July
These events give suppliers the opportunity to
handle livestock of varying breeds, weights,
4
Morrisons FARMING MATTERS SUMMER 2014
grades and often fed on different diets, from suppliers
other than themselves, and assess them live and then as
a hanging carcass. On the day, EBLEX also covers topics such
as current consumer demand, breed characteristics, abattoir
and market requirements and farm and abattoir hygiene.
Events run from 9am to 2pm, including breakfast and lunch.
Anyone interested in attending one of the events should
contact Caroline Gooch on 07581 482561 or caroline.
gooch@morrisonsplc.co.uk or Stephen Zealand on
07891 812706 or stephen.zealand@morrisonsplc.co.uk
Upcoming events
Come and meet the Morrisons team at a number of events this year:
• 8-10 July – The Great Yorkshire Show
• 3-4 August – Turriff Show
• 4-5 December– East of England
Smithfield Event
5
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Farming Matters is published by Anglia Farmers Limited, Honingham Thorpe, Colton, Norwich, NR9 5BZ.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, Anglia Farmers cannot accept
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