Major Breakthrough for BIG

Beef Improvement Group and Morrisons/Woodheads Aiming for Supply Chain Efficiencies

Morrisons/Woodheads have formed a ground-breaking relationship with Yorkshire based, The Beef Improvement Group, to develop a more efficient and sustainable supply chain of fresh beef.

The supermarket currently processes around 3000 cattle every week at its Woodheads abattoirs in Turriff, Colne and Spalding supplying beef to its 420+ British stores. Morrisons is the only major UK retailer committed to selling 100% fresh British beef.

It is anticipated the new partnership will lead to competitive advantages for all parts of the supply chain and has the potential to further improve the eating quality of beef. The Beef Improvement Group is committed to further building its strong producer base and Morrisons/Woodheads are able to offer farmers an exceptional supply of carcass performance data back down the supply chain.

Morrisons Head of Agriculture, David Evans said: “We will be working in a number of key technical areas to help achieve supply chain efficiencies. This includes establishing a mechanism to improve eating quality, carcase yield and retail value and linking these to the genetic assessment of beef sires. We will also be assessing the feed efficiency of beef sires to improve resource utilisation and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Morrisons’ unique business structure, which includes owning our processing plants, means we are the only major supermarket able to work with our farmers in this way. We will be looking closely at the progress of the project with BIG, partnerships like this may have the potential to significantly benefit the British beef sector, helping build a more sustainable future.”

Richard Fuller, Technical Director for the Beef Improvement Group, added:

“This agreement with Morrisons/Woodheads builds on BIG’s original ambitions to establish a low cost, high value suckler system to improve the competitiveness of producers facing higher costs and reduced subsidy support.

“Having established a highly efficient production base with the Stabiliser, the next logical step for BIG breeders and finishers is to capitalise on being an integral part of a more efficient supply chain and this relationship with Morrisons/Woodheads will give us that opportunity.”

Supply Chain Partnership

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