Bord Bia Quality Beef and Lamb Producer Awards Launched
20 April 2006
The competition to find the best beef and lamb producers in the country is underway.
This week the Bord Bia Quality Beef and Lamb Producer Awards were officially launched. The competition is run in association with Teagasc and the Irish Farmers Journal, the aim of which is to reward those farmers striving to maximise the quality and returns for the livestock they produce. Promoting the profitable production of Irish beef and lamb is a cornerstone of this competition.
There is a prize fund of €17,500 in total under the various category headings. Seven awards with prizes (totalling €13,000) will be made to Ireland’s best beef producers, while sheep farmers are in with a chance to compete for three awards (with a total prize fund of €4,500).
The beef competition will reward both beef finishers and quality weanling and store producers. There is an added emphasis on quality assurance, marketing and costs and labour efficiency.
In the sheep competition the focus is on ewe productivity, cost control and labour efficiency, three areas that are critical to the future success of sheep farming.
A basic requirement of the competition is that nominated farmers have completed a Teagasc Profit Monitor Analysis, this ensures that entrants have a good knowledge and understanding of the financial performance of their enterprise. Also, all applicants must be nominated by either a meat plant that is a member of the Bord Bia Beef Quality assurance scheme, or by a Teagasc adviser.
The closing date for applications is Friday April 28, 2006.
