THE Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society has launched a breed improvement programme designed to identify the top performing bulls in the breed and ensure that they are more
extensively used in both pedigree and commercial herds.
While the Aberdeen-Angus has enjoyed a resurgence of interest, and can now command a
premium, there has been concern at the quality of some bulls forward at sales.
Society chief executive Ron McHattie, who unveiled the breed improvement programme in Perth yesterday, said it was hoped to improve the standard of Aberdeen-Angus bulls in use throughout the UK and Irish beef industries.
The continued resurgence in demand for quality pedigree Aberdeen-Angus stock was clearly market driven and underwritten by the significant premiums
available for finished cattle entering the various Aberdeen-Angus beef marketing scheme, he said.
The selection of the top-performing bulls will be based on a study of their progeny.
Information will be collected from a variety of sources, including auctioneers, society members and commercial producers and finishers.
''Now we will be gathering information from commercial producers and finishers who will know where they are regularly getting good cattle from. The whole ethos of this concept is
rating through progeny rather than rating the bulls themselves,'' said McHattie.
Once the society has received a list of nominees it will arrange for bulls to be inspected so that they can be given an overall visual
rating.
Ranking will, however, be based on the percentage of progeny achieving a high conformation and growth rate score.
A revised elite register will be produced each year and will be promoted within the society in the hope of encouraging extensive use of the bulls by artificial insemination in both pedigree and
commercial herds.
Breed president Neil Massie, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, said the principal objective was to work towards an improvement in the conformation and value of finished stock entering abattoirs. The society recognised that the
premium price now on offer for Aberdeen-Angus cattle could not be taken for granted.
The availability of more good bulls would ensure that a higher proportion of the final product met the specification of the wholesaler and retailer.
It is expected that the first
register of elite bulls will be ready in about six months time. Thereafter, it will be updated annually with some losing their listing and new nominees taking their place.
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