Mourne view farm

Mourne View Farm relies on Charolais performance to
lead the way in finishing in Northern Ireland
Jonathan Price and his brother Kyle have
turned their 450-acre, third generation farm in
Northern Ireland into one of the province’s most
efficient specialised beef finishing units. Their aim is
to produce the highest quality beef in the shortest
possible time, and for the performance they need for
that outcome they rely on the Charolais.
Over the past 10 years or so since their father Henry
handed over the reins to Jonathan and Kyle, the
brothers have streamlined their finishing operation
at Mourne View Farm to supply a total of between
700 and 800 finished animals to the ABP processing
facility in County Armagh over the course of the year.
Mourne View Farm sends a regular quota of 15
cattle every week between October and June to
ABP, replacing the outgoing cattle with bought-in
weanlings within days of their departure.
“We’re selling our cattle at between 700 and 750 kilos live
weight, and buying in replacements at between 12 and
18 months and around 500 kilos. The majority come from
Enniskillen Mart and about 10% we buy privately, but they’re
all from breeders we know and trust, and most of them are
Charolais cross.”
It’s the Charolais genetics that Jonathan believes give Mourne
View cattle a competitive edge.
“My father started finishing in 1992, and right from the
beginning he always favoured the Charolais cross. We’re still
following his lead when we’re buying, looking for a well-bred
animal that’s going to produce the carcass the market currently
wants, and we aim to keep them for as short a time as possible,
anywhere from 100 days to eight months depending on the size
of animal and time of year.”
To hit their target weight gain in the minimum time, autumn
stock is all kept inside, while spring stock goes out to graze and
brought in for the last six to eight weeks to finish them off. The
Prices produce all their own silage and barley, with a feeding
regime aimed at gaining between 1.6 and 1.7 kilos a day.
16
www.charolais.co.uk

The Mourne View cattle have remarkable
uniformity, but Jonathan says the quality
and weight gain performance they are
seeing today are giving them significantly
better results than in the past.
“I think we’ve inherited my father’s eye.
He’s still involved in the business, and
my mother deserves all the credit for the
book-keeping and keeping us right – and
well fed! What’s changed over the years
is the cattle, and especially the Charolais
influence. We know the breeders
have been working hard to improve
characteristics like ease of calving, but
they’ve also improved them in the areas
we need the most.”
At a particularly difficult time for livestock
farmers, with sky high input costs and
declining beef suckler production, the
Price family’s finishing operation, in
its stunning setting at the foot of the
Mountains of Mourne, is more than
holding its own.
“Our cattle are grading better and killing out better. We can
guarantee our quality and consistency and our killing out
percentages, and that means we get maximum prices from
ABP. We’re currently selling at £5 per kilo live weight, which is
up on last year, and we are comfortable with the margins we’re
making.
The Prices have built a remarkably successful business on
Mourne View Farm. They have invested in infrastructure and
technology and they clearly have the best possible farming
pedigree. But they also know their cattle inside out, and they
know that the Charolais cross is the key to quality, efficiency,
and maximum returns.
www.charolais.co.uk 17