Limousin breeders reflected upon yet another year of record performance at the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS) held on Monday 22nd July within the Lantra Wales building at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells.
In an upbeat annual address to members BLCS Chairman, Peter Kirton, Severn Lodge Farm, Kinlet, Bewdley, Worcestershire, reported on a year that he described as “perhaps the highest performing year that any breed in the UK had enjoyed to date.” The published report and accounts certainly backed this up with a number of key achievements highlighted:
- Society sales in the year grossing £8.2 Million, up by £850,000 on the year and another UK all-breeds record figure.
- Limousin again being confirmed as the UK’s number one numerical beef breed for the 17th year in succession, and number one in each of the four home nations.
- Another year of success at the year’s summer and winter shows with sixteen Summer ‘Major’ interbreed titles secured followed by a Grand Slam of Winter Primestock titles.
- Pedigree registrations in the year sitting firmly at just under 20,000 and following the previous year’s record mark.
- Just under £100,000 being returned to members in the year through breed improvement and health incentives.
- A strong year of financial performance giving the Society the means to further its investment in a wide range of technical, breed improvement and promotional initiatives.
In particular, Mr. Kirton congratulated breeders on the sales’ performance in the year that had seen just under 2,100 bulls and females sell on the year to gross over £8,200,000 and set a new record mark for the third year in a row. Commenting he said, “Limousin is a ‘working breed’ of cattle. In a cost conscious industry, we must continue to take dead aim at the needs of the market place and continue to produce the cattle that leave the commercial beef producer with a profit.”
Mr. Kirton confirmed that the strong financial performance of the Society would see continuous investment in its development programme of breed improvement initiatives and services. Moving into the present financial year he noted that the Society had successfully launched the provision of performance recording services to members, through the BASCO database, with an immediate £120 per herd saving on previous costs. In the year a Technical Manager had been employed and also a Young Breeders Co-ordinator. Mr. Kirton confirmed that the Society had recently bought an office property in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire as a long term investment and to which the Society would be relocating its head office in September of this year.
BLCS Honorary Treasurer Mary Reynolds presented the financial report for the year and outlined the main points and highlights which included:
- Total income for the period ended 31st December 2012 of £936,813.
- Total expenditure was £835,215 which resulted in a positive surplus of income over expenditure for the year of £101,598.
- Income from birth registration fees leveled at £560,701.
- Sale commission increased by £3,569, to a record total of £72,183 and reflective of the record sales year.
- The total net movement in funds on the year was £211,425, up by £121,875.
- Total funds carried forward came to £2,513,887
The British Limousin Cattle Society’s 42nd Annual General Meeting was held on the opening day of the 2013 Royal Welsh Show. This continued the policy of moving the around the regions that has seen the AGM held in recent years within the Royal Welsh, Royal Highland, Royal, and Great Yorkshire shows respectively.
