Oraganic pasture beef

<p>Eric Meili</p>

Oraganic pasture beef

Eric Meili

Institute for Organic Agriculture, Switzerland

: J Plant Physiol Pathol

Abstract

Organic pasture beef (in German: Bio Weide-Beef) is a program for extensive grassland beef production. It is linked to dairy farming with fattening of crossbreed offspring with beef bulls or finishing weaners of suckler cows. This is a low input/cost production system. Its main aim is to get high productivity out of the grassland in an economical way. The most important factor for quality beef is that the animal for fattening is a crossbreed of a milking cow with a beef breed or an offspring of a beef suckler cow. In Switzerland Limousin crossbreeds have produced the best results. In organic pasture beef program, the animals have to remain on pasture at least 8 hours every day during the vegetation period and have access to outdoor run every day in winter. Loose housing stables are required. The weaners come to the beef farm about 5-6 months (200kg life weight) from the dairy farm or get set of the suckler cow at about 10 months (350kg life weight). They get fattened to 550kg life weight or 300kg carcass weight (700-900grams daily gain). The age at slaughtering is 18 to 24 months, depending on the quality of the feed. The meat is sold very well by Migros, the biggest supermarket chain in Switzerland. Consumers pay 15% more for the beef and the farmer get a 25% higher carcass price than for conventional beef.