Livestock
knowledge transfer, export and communications work will con- tinue as normal for beef. “We have discussed this lamb focus with the NFU and it is fully supportive of the board’s move.” The campaign aims to reignite consumers’ love of lamb and make it relevant for their lifestyles by highlighting its superior taste and versatility. It is part of a mul- ti-million pound series of market- ing promotions targeting the do- mestic market in 2019.
Driving sales
£1.4m promotion to get lamb back on plates
• Campaign to support sheep sector • Goal to stem steady decline in sales • Consumers targeted at key times
A
£1.4 million market- ing campaign is to be launched as the indus-
try seeks to get lamb back on British plates.
The promotional push will see two bursts of targeted activity – the first this summer and the sec- ond in September to coincide with peak supply of British lamb. It is being funded by the Agricul- ture and Horticulture Develop- ment Board – and is backed by the NFU.
AHDB Beef & Lamb Sector strategy director Will Jackson said: “We’re focusing our mar- keting efforts on sheep for the forthcoming seasons to ensure lamb is at the forefront of con- sumers’ minds – coinciding with the availability of autumn lamb for shoppers.” By focusing on lamb’s unique
flavour and its versatility, the goal is to help stem a steady decline in lamb sales and boost consumer
78 ANGLIA FARMER • JUNE 2019
attitudes towards the meat across a number of different target au- diences.
Sheep support The AHDB has been working for some months to see how best it
can support the sheep sector. It will liaise with retailers, foodser- vice outlets and industry stake- holders to ensure a coordinated approach to the promotion, said Mr Jackson. “Day-to-day work will contin- ue in other respects to support both beef and lamb with meat, health and environment being key parts of the ongoing strate- gy. Research and development,
Creative teams will use a vari- ety of different channels, such as large format outdoor posters, press adverts and social media channels to hit different target audiences. Previous campaigns have shown that promotional work is effective. The AHDB will be running an additional campaign for levy-pay- ers. Farmers will be encouraged to use social media guides and promotional displays to market their produce at key times in the production year. NFU livestock board chair-
man Richard Findlay said: “We’re fully supportive of the move of marketing to concentrate on lamb, helping to retain and grow our domestic market during a pe- riod of uncertainty.”
Timing the campaign in Sep- tember meant consumers could enjoy British lamb in the height of our season, said Mr Findlay. He added: “It’s a great opportu- nity to drive sales.”
Biosecurity remains key issue on farms
Concern over biosecurity remains a key issue on livestock farms, suggests the fourth annual bo- vine viral diarrhoea (BVD sur- vey, which attracted a record 1243 responses.
“Biosecurity is a hugely com-
plex issue involving neighbouring farms, visitors to the home farm, where stock is reared and kept, in addition to stock purchasing pol- icy,” said survey organiser Matt Yarnall, of animal health compa- ny Boehringer Ingelheim. Equally significant was the
issue of testing and herd sur- veillance, which was variable across Scotland, Wales, North- ern Ireland and England. Mr Yarnall said: “Uptake is, gener- ally, much below where it should be for this disease to be effective- ly controlled.” Overall, the survey attracted responses from 686 beef farm- ers (58%) and 492 dairy farmers (42%). When asked about the fi- nancial impact of BVD, the aver- age response was £44 per cow per year, although some respondents
selected £100 per cow per year. Of 62% of English producers who stated they ran a closed herd, 2% said their reared calves away from the main farm. Some 19% bring bulls in, 2% buy in heifers or cows and 1% purchase fatten- ing stock.
“Obviously, this means they are not truly a closed herd,” said Mr Yarnell. Some 10% of these herds did not vaccinate so would not be protected against the BVD virus, he added. “It is clear to see how vulnerable they are.”
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