Farm assurance continues to add value at the farmgate

The Farm Assurance Price Analysis Update 2013 also revealed that farm assured new season lambs made 6.5p/kg more than non-assured, while olds season lambs averaged 10p/kg more.

Assured older steers performed best, averaging 18.55p/kg more than their non-farm assured counterparts.

Liz Ford, EBLEX regional project manager, said: “It is well documented that cattle prices have been declining. However, the analysis update demonstrates the benefits of farm assurance, irrespective of what the price might do. With the exception of cull cows, all cattle categories in 2013 saw the largest price differences since we started analysing this data in 2005.

“Farm assured cattle and lambs have historically always tracked above the market average for some supply chains. The data for 2013 again highlights that farm assurance adds value at the farmgate.”

Philippa Wiltshire, Red Tractor Assurance sector manager, said: “These latest figures show that Red Tractor assured farmers selling more than two finished cattle or 57 new season lambs per year will benefit financially as a result. The demand for farm assured beef has risen over the last year following the horsemeat scandal, particularly from the food service sector and this confirms our members are seeing the direct benefit.”

The update can be found in the corporate publications section of the EBLEX website www.eblex.org.uk