Hereford Beef Schemes and lower carcass weight requirement drive demand

Demand for lower carcass weights and the Hereford Beef Schemes which include the well established Irish Hereford Prime initiative with AIBP Nenagh and Pallas Foods together with the recently announced Certified Hereford beef initiative by Omagh Meats, Northern Ireland and the Irish Hereford Society are credited with driving the current demand for Hereford bulls.

The Irish Hereford Prime Ltd. initiative with AIBP now well established has consistently paid a premium since its inception a number of years ago. Product is principally sold through high-class restaurants and butchering outlets and to growing markets in France and Belgium . Pallas Foods' excellent distribution system ensures the product is available on a continuous basis and that quality is of the highest standard. AIBP continue to identify and source additional outlets for the product highlighting its production in Ireland and its top class eating quality. The product is produced from grass or grass silage with minimum quantities of meal feeding as finishing approaches. Producers operate to the highest standards and are quality assured. Contact Michael Cleary on O87 - 6888713

Omagh Meats and the Irish Hereford Society have more recently announced a partnership establishing a Certified Hereford Beef initiative . The excellent eating quality associated with Hereford coupled with the medium carcase weight has ensured Omagh Meats is able to market the beef as a premium quality product. With an average carcase weight of 280 kg, a conformation class of 0+ and better, an average fat cover of 4L, the result is that each beef primal contains an ideal blend of internal marbling and external fat covering. Over the last year the Foyle Food Group has targeted niche markets in Belgium , Holland , France , Spain and the UK with the Hereford brand. The expertise of the Group in sales and marketing and the Hereford Society assurances of quality and consistency of supply have resulted in complete customer satisfaction leading to increased and repeat orders. Cattle supplies for Omagh will pre dominantly come from the border counties and surrounding hinterland. Contact Eric Humphreys on 086 - 3374652

Both schemes are seen as complimentary. Suckler and dairy farmers anxious to produce quality Hereford stock to meet the specifications and reap the reward of premium prices available through both schemes for top quality product should contact the Irish Hereford Society or Irish Hereford Prime Ltd.