Charolais Wins M and S Supplier Title
Quality beef cows and top notch Charolais bulls have paid dividends for father and son team, Jimmy and Richard Stinson from Aughnacloy as they have just been announced Marks and Spencer Select Cattle Supplier
of the Year.
Linden Foods who supply M&S have announced that the father and son team supplied over 70% of their cattle to meet the exact M & S specification last year.
The company’s supply chain manager, Frank Foster said “ They are committed to high quality breeding and management using the right type of cow and top notch Charolais bulls.”
Jimmy Stinson states that they have been using Charolais sires in their suckler herd for the past 15 years. When Marks and Spencer set up their Select Scheme they had a strict specification regarding weights and grades. In addition there is also extra specifications above the normal Farm Quality Assurance Scheme.
Jimmy Stinson added “This is the way the industry needs to go. There must be a partnership throughout the food chain so that each one is aware of the others requirements and the difficulty and costs in meeting those requirements.”
He went on to say that he has bought Charolais bulls at the NI Charolais Club show and sale in Dungannon and has also bought privately from breeders. The beef value of a bull is important but that must be matched by excellent conformation and growth. It is also important to have the right type of suckler cow and that is difficult to find. So much so that he is planning to use the Charolais bull on some Aberdeen Angus females to produce a cow that will have plenty of milk for growthy Charolais calves. He aims to have steers finished at 20 to 25 months of age and over 425 kilos while heifers go away at 18 months weighing 300 to 350 kilos. Over 70 % of the cattle going to Marks and Spencer met the strict quality and performance specification for their Select Scheme.
The Charolais breed is the only one that can give them the required growth in a short time and meet the specified grades, on a natural grass based system.