Welsh man Charlie Cooper is planning on travelling South America to investigate the importance of rearing an efficient, sustainable and profitable beef animal from the dairy industry.
He will be doing so as the latest recipient of Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales’ (HCC) annual scholarship which is awarded to people who, in the opinion of the interview panel, will be able to make an ongoing contribution to the industry.
Successful applicants spend up to six weeks studying the sheep, beef or pork industry in a country of their choice and on their return are expected to present details and findings to the farming industry and also undertake a series of presentations to farmer groups.
Charlie, who lives in the rural area of Llanfyllin, mid Wales, will be travelling and studying in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.
His interest to undertake this study was sparked by his past experiences of working on farms and his work as Area Sales Specialist for Wynnstay Group PLC where he deals with beef, sheep and dairy farmers on a daily basis.
“I am delighted to have been chosen as HCC Scholarship winner for 2022 and very much look forward to travelling to South America, one of the largest beef suppliers and leading users of beef on dairy semen in the world,” said Charlie.
“I am interested to learn how they view beef farming, especially on the feed lots. Chile will certainly be one key destination to visit as the industry there is known for rearing a large proportion of beef from forage and low input concentrates. I’m keen to understand how this is done profitably.”
Charlie will focus on calves born from Jersey and New Zealand cross genetics and reared on good quality forage, which is one strong link between South American dairy beef and Welsh beef production.
“I will conduct my research into efficient systems that are finishing beef on low inputs and high forage-based diets, and still manage to achieve high weight gain and slaughter under 28 months,” he continued.
“I am also keen to identify and evaluate methods that can be used to maintain public trust in British farming.
“As an industry, I feel that we need to adapt to meet price and sustainability expectations, and the dairy bull beef sector is one potential avenue to help increase the industry’s productivity.
“I’d like to see if dairy bred bull and beef calves can meet the eating quality and growth efficiency to increase our supply of beef.”
Charlie plans to travel during August and September when the cows will be out grazing.
“Our late summer will be their spring, which is a good time for me to investigate their grain and forage-based beef systems.
“Despite a big difference in scale, there are some similarities between our systems and theirs – a focus on good quality forage production, they have a similar climate to the UK, block calving systems are prevalent and they don’t use growth hormones. I will be interested to research how farmers are rewarded for their efforts and how carcasses are graded.”
Before setting off on his travels, Charlie plans to ground his understanding of the sector in the UK by arranging meetings with key livestock, beef and dairy specialists.
HCC’s industry development executive, James Ruggeri said: “After a two-year break in the HCC Scholarship process, we are pleased to be able to offer the award to a young and enthusiastic individual again this year.
“Charlie impressed the panel with his passion for the industry and we were unanimous that his interest and experience, as well as his contacts within agriculture in Wales and across the border, would certainly enhance his studies.
“His focus on grassland systems and lower use of concentrates was a key interest for us. The red meat sector in Wales is famous for its use of natural resources and sustainability, so we felt that Charlie’s focus on forage production, carbon footprint and regenerative systems could be applied to the ‘Welsh Way’ of producing beef.”
