FABBL

[natmadaboutdexters]

Just out of interest, is anyone registered with Fabbl and does it guarantee higher prices when selling Dexters for meat either liveweight or deadweight? I have two or three cull cows to go this summer and am wondering whether to register with Fabbl to try and obtain a better price. Any thoughts?

There is a lot of paperwork involved and keeping feed records etc so wondering if it is worth it.

Natasha

[SteveM]

If you have a potential market that will pay you a higher price than you are getting now, but only if you are farm assured, then it may be worth while.

Posted on this subject back in October, didn't get any favourable responses.

Going back a couple of years we sold a couple of steers and cull cows to Dawn Meats. Had we been farm assured they suggested we may have got a better price as it opened up our beef to those of there customers who would only take farm assured.

More recently we have found out that they will only take cattle from farm assured farms.

So option for us seems to be to sell at market and let someone who is farm assured cream off the profit, or become farm assured.

Havent looked into it further yet.

guessing it depends on how many cattle you are going to be selling offset against the cost.

But as for if it guarantees a profit, depends if you are a farmer or employee of farm assured and its inspectors.

[natmadaboutdexters]

Thank you for responding, it is a tricky one. We tend to have one or two steers back for the freezer to sell to family and friends or sell the steers at a year old for someone else to finish. This will literally be for three cull cows going this year as they have had problems calving, poor calves , bad udder etc. I will have a word with the market and see what the price per kilo difference is. we have only sold liveweight at a market once and it was a disaster price wise so would be looking at deadweight anyway.

Natasha

[LISA]

Hello Natasha,

We have not been members of the FABBL scheme for some years now as there is currently no benefit in us being a member at our farm here.

Historically the farm here was farm assured. This was so we had an outlet for any barren cows or bulls. The (local) abattoir (Crick) would only take cattle that were farm assured (the price for a cull Dexter cow was dismal in any case but at least it was an outlet for them). Unfortunately this abattoir has long gone and there was therefore no point in us remaining in the scheme as our local cull "outlet" had gone.

When we farmed in Newark the farm there was always Farm assured, again this was because the abattoirs would not buy any cattle that were not farm assured. We used to sell barren cattle (several breeds not just Dexter's) direct to the abattoir (Wooley Bros in Sheffield) as we liked to know from a welfare point of view that the cattle were killed immediately on arrival. The Dexter's got an ok sort of price here. "Commercial" breeds certainly get better prices at (store and slaughter only) markets if they are FABBL registered, however I do not think it would make a jot of difference to the Dexter price at any market.

I do not know the current FABBL membership cost but would guess around £170 ish. I do not think you would even get your membership cost back on your 3 cull cows either at the abattoir and certainly not at market (I imagine you would make a loss)- to be blunt the cull Dexter's generally get a dreadful price (whether FABBL or not) sold through a market or direct to an abattoir. However if you become Farm assured you might at least find an abattoir to take your cull animals to as most abattoirs will not take cattle that are not FABBL.



From a paperwork point of view it was not much more than you will already be keeping, the inspections were always fine.

(I feel a "cull Dexter - what are your options" thread coming on!)

Best Wishes

Lisa Bell

[SteveM]

one thought we had on spreading the cost of being farm assured would be to pick up some of the cull animals at rare breeds sales, and then after the qualifying period, send to slaughter as farm assured. Its only anyone who is currently doing this that could tell us if its worthwhile, and guessing if it is they will want to keep it to themselves

[Saffy]

You would need to isolate well from the rest of your herd as otherwise bringing disease in could soon wipe out any prospective profit for you.

Stephanie

[Jac]

one thought we had on spreading the cost of being farm assured would be to pick up some of the cull animals at rare breeds sales, and then after the qualifying period, send to slaughter as farm assured. Its only anyone who is currently doing this that could tell us if its worthwhile, and guessing if it is they will want to keep it to themselves

I am not sure what is going on with this but it looks as if there are moves to end this 90 day qualifying period for cattle and move to lifetime assurance only.

http://www.redtractor.org.uk/media/news ... -statement

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Here is the statement which Jac has given us the link to

"Further update on Red Tractor consultation on lifetime assurance for beef

Recent press reports about the results of the industry consultation on lifetime assurance for beef are factually misleading and extremely disappointing.

Quoting the personal views of certain individuals who are opposed to the proposals will only serve to propagate misinformation and inflame matters.

We categorically stated – and reiterate once again - that any progress we make on the issue will be done carefully in full consultation with our key partners and trade associations in the supply chain. Indeed we have already begun a dialogue with the NBA.

The consensus of the independently assessed consultation confirmed our view that the delivery of lifetime assurance for beef continues to be an important objective to protect the integrity of the Red Tractor brand.

Our intention was never to rush into this, but to work closely with industry to achieve the move to lifetime assurance in a way that does not disrupt supply and is completed within a realistic timescale, at minimum costs to all links in the supply chain, not least farmers."

In other words we are consulting but do not tell us your individual opinions, we are not interested.

Duncan

[SteveM]

I would think that lifetime assurance would be a good thing, which should benefit the farmer with a better price, I cant see how an animal spending a short time on an assured farm and then qualifying as farm assured gives any benefit to the animal, or the consumer

[Duncan MacIntyre]

I was not really making a point for either side, I just do not like so called "consultations" when the other side's opinion does not matter.

Duncan