breed history
breed standard
breed commentary
quality charter
|
Breed Market Position
BCMS Figures Show Limousin Breed Increasing Its Market Share to 35%
The British Limousin breed has maintained its position as Britain’s
number one beef breed for the 13th year in a row. Figures released
for 2008 by the British Cattle Movement Service, Workington, show that
out of a total of 1,821,505 beef sired calves registered in the year,
629,126 were sired by Limousin bulls. This figure represents a 35%
share of the market for the Limousin breed which is up by 1% on the
previous year’s figures.
Charolais figures show 297,598 calves registered representing a 16%
market share, whilst Aberdeen Angus figures show 239,757 registrations
representing an increase of 1% on the year to a 13% total market share.
Despite the presently strong beef price, the overall number of beef
sired calves has seen a further drop of 80,535 registered in the year,
just over - 4%, from the 2007 figure of 1,902,040.
Continental sires continue to lead the beef figures with Aberdeen
Angus being the only native breed within the top five ranked breeds
of Limousin, Charolais, Aberdeen Angus, Simmental and British Blue.
A particular shift on the year has seen the collective of Other Beef
Breeds drop 2 percentage points to 15% market share and reflective
of 268,182 calves registered, a drop of 63,102.
England saw 1,071,330 beef sired calves registered with BCMS which
is a 59% share of the overall British total in the year. The Other
Beef Breeds collective noticeably dropped 4% in England to a 17% share
and 186,257 calves registered in total. England also saw the biggest
variation to the national total rankings with Limousin being the largest
numerical breed followed by Aberdeen Angus in second, British Blue
third, Charolais fourth and Simmental in fifth.
Of the home countries, the highest Limousin percentage share is shown
in Wales where 42% of the 109,549 beef calves registered were sired
by Limousin, some 19% ahead of the Charolais breed in second position.
The Limousin breed also leads the figures in both England and Scotland
with a 33% market share in each country respectively. Since the formation
of the British Cattle Movement Service thirteen years ago to record
all British cattle births and movements, over 8.5 million (8,591,596)
Limousin sired birth registrations have been recorded.
Commenting on the figures, British Limousin Cattle Society Chief Executive
Iain Kerr said that the breed’s sustained success was due to
commercial demand at all industry levels driven by profit and performance. “In
2008, international research reported on the discovery of the F94L
gene which is found almost uniquely in the Limousin breed and occurs
in most Limousin animals. The research confirmed that this ‘profit’ gene
resulted in the production of animals with increased weight of prime
cuts and overall beef yield; higher levels of food conversion; and
a higher level of beef tenderness. The results are a scientific verification
of the advantages beef producers have long recognised in the Limousin
breed and are what have clearly driven the ongoing market demand”,
he said.
The 2008 figures also show in the dairy herd that Holstein-Friesian
or Holstein-Friesian crosses dominate with 572,881 registrations -
a number which has remained firm on the previous year.
| BCMS Figures for 2008 |
|
|
|
|
|
Animals Registered |
Percentage Share |
|
Year Change +/-% |
British Total |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Limousin |
|
629,126 |
35% |
|
(+ 1%) |
| 2. Charolais |
|
297,598 |
16% |
|
(+ 0 %) |
| 3. Aberdeen Angus |
|
239,757 |
13% |
|
(+ 1%) |
| 4. Simmental |
|
201,841 |
11% |
|
(+ 0 %) |
| 5. British Blue |
|
185,001 |
10% |
|
(+ 0 %) |
| 6. Other Beef Breeds |
|
268,182 |
15% |
|
(- 2%) |
| Total |
|
1,821,505 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
England |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Limousin |
|
357,754 |
33% |
|
(+ 0%) |
| 2. Aberdeen Angus |
|
146,111 |
14% |
|
(+ 2%) |
| 3. British Blue |
|
138,566 |
13% |
|
(+ 1%) |
| 4. Charolais |
|
126,823 |
12% |
|
(+ 0%) |
| 5. Simmental |
|
115,819 |
11% |
|
(+ 0 %) |
| 6. Other Beef Breeds |
|
186,257 |
17% |
|
(- 4%) |
| Total |
|
1,071,330 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scotland |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Limousin |
|
165,778 |
33% |
|
(+ 0%) |
| 2. Charolais |
|
114,746 |
23% |
|
(+0 %) |
| 3. Aberdeen Angus |
|
83,049 |
17% |
|
(+ 1%) |
| 4. Simmental |
|
74,982 |
15% |
|
(+ 1%) |
| 5. British Blue |
|
19,582 |
4% |
|
(+ 0%) |
| 6. Other Beef Breeds |
|
43,107 |
9% |
|
|
| Total |
|
501,244 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wales |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Limousin |
|
105,594 |
42% |
|
(+ 0%) |
| 2. Charolais |
|
56,029 |
23% |
|
(+ 0 %) |
| 3. British Blue |
|
26,853 |
11% |
|
(+ 1%) |
| 4. Simmental |
|
11,040 |
4% |
|
(- 1%) |
| 5. Aberdeen Angus |
|
8,686 |
4% |
|
(+ 0%) |
| 6. Other Beef Breeds |
|
38,818 |
16% |
|
(- 1%) |
| Total |
|
247,020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Source : British Cattle Movement Service
( BCMS), Workington |
|
|
Breed Market Position 2007
|
