Northern Ireland Breeder
sets off for Brazil
Press Release by Johnston
Press plc 17/08/2009
A leading Northern Ireland beef breeder will
be travelling to Brazil to see for himself the
potential for trade.
 |
| Raymond Crawford |
Raymond Crawford, of the
Crawford Brothers partnership in Co. Fermanagh,
is joining a group of breeders from the UK led
by Rob Wills, of UK Sire Services Ltd.
The visit
is programmed to focus on the world famous Expointer
show in southern Brazil, one of the largest livestock
shows in the world. The show attracts more than
750,000 visitors every year and features over
2,000 cattle from many breeds and especially
British and continental breeds. There is massive
interest in importing genetics to re-generate
bloodlines in Brazil and, in particular there
is a move towards meat quality produced from
grazing systems.
Looking ahead to his trip, Raymond said: “I
am looking forward to seeing and learning as
much as possible about the Brazilian beef industry
and to look at the market as an opportunity not
a threat.
“There is a lot of talk about the banning
of Brazilian beef, traceability and other issues
but I am not going to comment until I see for
myself what the set up out there is, and see
if there is anything that we can do to help improve
the situation.
“For example, by using British genetics
we will help to improve the traceability and
the quality of product that they are selling,
and in the UK and Ireland we have the best pedigree
cattle in the world combining a depth of genetics.
“I firmly believe that Crawford brothers
will play a part in this. It’s going to
be a huge challenge, but we thrive on challenges
at Rathkeeland,” he added.
Mr Crawford
said he planned to learn as much as possible
about the beef breeding sector from his trip
to South America.
He continued: “I have set up meetings with
influential figures with in the beef industry,
government officials and breeders. One of the
Limousin breeders, Mr Luiz Mengal Neto, judged
the Royal Highland Show and awarded our bull
Millbrook Lancelot the overall champion and he
has visited our farm.
With a country the size
of the whole continent of Europe, Brazil is a
market which I am determined to do business in,” Mr
Crawford added.
Crawford Brothers, together with
a group of six others, have taken stand space
on the British Pavilion which is at the heart
of the livestock area and the team will be hosting
a barbecue reception on the first night.
Raymond
will be participating in a workshop with the
Brazilian Limousin Society, where he will have
the opportunity to tell breeders there about
the systems here in the UK including our traceability
system, health and welfare issues. He will have
the chance to learn much about the huge Brazilian
beef breeding and rearing sector, where there
are over 200 million cattle, on a five day tour
built in prior to the show at the end of August.
The tour, organised by Rob Wills, will cover
a large area of the borderlands with Uruguay
and he will be visiting the very best Charolais,
Angus and Hereford herds.
The mission to Expointer
is one of several worldwide shows supported by
the British Governments’ TAP
scheme run by the UKTI.
“As a Director of the British Livestock
Genetics Consortium (BLG) I have been asked to
lead this exciting tour to Brazil.” said
Mr Wills.
“It will be my fifteenth visit to this
great country and after all the traumas of BSE
and FMD we are starting to trade in substantial
quantities of semen. The potential is massive
and, as an example, Brazil will import over 1
million doses of Angus semen alone this year.
“I am looking forward to introducing Raymond
to the country and to many influential breeders
that I am sure will become friends for life.
Raymond and Stephen have shown real drive and
determination over the years in their ability
to sell a quality product all over the world
in semen from their bulls, Sauvignon and Vigot,
taking the curative move in being the first in
the Limousin world to produce sexed semen of
there bulls has been a huge success.
Mr Wills
added: “Crawford Brothers professional
manner in breeding, showing and selling quality
cattle, with the family history and knowledge
within the cattle industry has played a part
in their success and I am delighted to have Raymond
on board with us.”
Crawford Brothers Rathkeeland
Herds are no strangers to the international scene.
Two years ago they accompanied the British Limousin
Cattle Society on their stand at Pozan in Poland.
At that time the Polish farmers were very keen
to acquire British females, and the Crawford’s
came back from that trip with the idea of an
oppurniuty opening for female sexed semen and
started production in Cogent, where there bulls
Sauvignon and Vigot became the first beef of
any breed in the UK and Ireland, and the first
limousins in the world, for female sexed semen.
To date they have exported to Poland, South Africa,
Australia, Canada, Hungry, Germany, Denmark,
New Zealand, Uruguay, Holland and next month
will export for the first time to America.
Sauvignon
has been in the Cogent Ai stud in Chester for
two years and just last week Raymond travelled
over to see the bull and agree a second round
of sexed semen to be lifted from him as stocks
have currently run out. Sauvignon has never been
home to Northern Ireland, such has the demand
been on his semen he has remained in the stud.
Raymond is confident that there are some exciting
things to come up in the near future for Crawford
brothers.
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