Welsh Beef PGI traceability to be backed by forensic science
17 May 2021 |
With its Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Welsh Beef is among the most sought-after meat in the world
Welsh produced beef will be included in an award-winning programme that seeks to authenticate genuine meat products through forensic science.
Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) partnership with technology company Oritain will deliver farm-to-fork traceability for PGI Welsh Beef.
Both organisations first used the technology in 2018 to authenticate PGI Welsh Lamb products.
Oritain uses a combination of forensic science and statistical models to trace and analyse the origin of products and raw materials.
Latest data on lamb and beef exports from the UK suggest trade is improving after a slow start to the year. Volumes exported, however, were significantly lower than the corresponding period last year, and demand in many export markets remains uncertain due to coronavirus restrictions on the foodservice sector. A total of 4,450 tonnes of fresh and frozen sheep meat were exported in February 2021, up 29.4 per cent when compared to January but down by 27.8 per cent on the year. The volume of fresh and frozen beef exported was 4,150 tonnes, a significant increase of 80.9 per cent on January 2021, but still 59 per cent less than February last year.
With more people shopping online for groceries during the Covid-19 pandemic, both in Britain and abroad, promotional efforts for Wales’s iconic farming exports have been ensuring that PGI Welsh lamb and PGI Welsh beef aren’t left behind. Online grocery sales have surged across the world over the last 12 months, it is also reported that shoppers in the United Arab Emirates spent more whilst doing online grocery shopping compared to when they visited stores. In Europe, key Welsh lamb markets such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland have also seen a large rise in e-commerce, with grocery shopping benefitting from an increase. It is estimated that approximately 28 per cent of European consumers who live in urban areas used online shopping as their main channel for buying groceries during lockdown.
Guidance updated on controlling worms on farms
20 April 2021 |
The guidance will help farms looking to reduce their dependence on wormers
The UK s three levy boards have updated their guidance for sheep farmers on controlling worms more effectively in the future.
The sheep industry has become more reliant on pastures grazed only by sheep, and as a result, the dependence on wormers has increased.
Worm control is vital on any sheep farm, and heavy worm burdens can dramatically decrease lamb growth rates and the profitability of sheep systems.
But for worm control to be effective long term it is important to preserve the efficacy of anthelmintics that are used by minimising resistance.
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