Do you know if your beef enterprise is on course to generate better returns ?

As part of its Beef Better Returns Programme this Autumn, EBLEX will be taking producers through its new ‘Beef Snapshot’ - a quick and simple way of looking at the financial performance of the beef enterprise and identifying areas that may need some attention. 

Developed with the help of the Red Meat Industry Forum, the Beef Snapshot calculates an individual producer’s performance data against the latest industry performance figures and, using a traffic light system, shows the areas that are doing well (green), around average (amber) or that may need attention (red). 

The Beef Snapshot is being piloted with a number of producers around the country. Once finalised the aim is to make it available for English farmers to download from the EBLEX website as a spreadsheet to complete and return to Beef BRP.

As part of a typical Beef BRP Snapshot discussion, the Beef BRP team will look at best practice in farm record-keeping and discuss the various EBLEX definitions of performance areas within Snapshot.  These definitions are important to ensure producers are able to compare ‘like with like’ and receive a more accurate picture of costings.

For example: Snapshot references to ‘calves born alive’ is defined as calves that are born alive and survive at least 24 hours. ‘Weaning age’ is not only the average age when weaned but also the time when they start being costed in the finishing enterprise (if the calves are being kept.)

The Beef BRP team will then guide individual farmers through a simple spreadsheet based around the business performance areas outlined in the annual EBLEX Business Pointers publication. 

These include variable costs such as veterinary fees, forage and feed, and livestock physical performance data  such as finishing weights, carcase weights, calf numbers and costs of replacements.

Once the Snapshot is calculated, its findings can be used alongside the EBLEX Beef Action for Profit Factsheets to improve any aspects of business performance.

Register now for the free EBLEX Beef Better Returns Programme for details of events in your area.  Alternatively email brp@eblex.org.uk if you would like to find out more about Beef Snapshot.

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