British Cattle Conference, 2012
Responsible breeding - fit for future generations
The 2012 conference will be the 67th British Cattle Conference.
The conference will take place on 23rd - 25th January 2012 at the Telford Golf and Spa Hotel, Great Hay Drive, Sutton Heights, Telford in Shropshire.
The Club would like to thank the following sponsors who have already committed to supporting the 2012 Conference:
ASDA, Igenity, Biobest, BOCM PAULS, British Blue Cattle Society, British Limousin Cattle Society, DairyCo, Dovecote Park, EBLEX, EGENES, Genus, Hereford Cattle Society, HUK, Marks & Spencer, NMR, Norbreck Genetics, Shepherd Publishing, Viking Genetics, Waitrose
If your company is interested in supporting the Club in bringing all sectors of the cattle breeding industry together to link practical cattle breeding with science, please would you contact the Secretary, Lesley Lewin.
A Message from the Chairman
Over recent years the Club has had a series of truly outstanding conferences and, as this year's Chairman, the pressure has been well and truly on to continue this trend. As a retailer I feel I am well qualified to deal with the challenge, but you can be the judge of that!
Cattle breeding has navigated its way through some turbulent times and in the future we face great challenges in feeding a growing world population while adapting to and mitigating the impact of climate change. So 'Responsible breeding fit for future generations' is the theme we have chosen this year and we have an impressive line up of leading domestic and international speakers who will be exploring the opportunities and seeking to identify the solutions to these issues. We have also sought to continue to uphold the traditions of the club blending the work of the science community and cattle breeding.
The first session on both days will set the context, identifying the breeding tools we have and the future research and development priorities. This will be followed by looking at the 'building blocks' to developing economically and environmentally efficient, sustainable production systems e.g genetics, animal health and nutrition. A number of the speakers will highlight their innovative approaches to developing efficient, lower carbon production systems fit for future generations. The popular Question Time will follow Tuesday's Conference Dinner with a distinguished panel of guests and for the second year the winners of our student essay competition will be speaking. So a fantastic programme of papers and speakers and I look forward to welcoming you to the 2012 conference.
The Club is greatly indebted to the continuing support of our sponsors during these tough economic times, particularly our main sponsors ASDA and Igenity, but also Biobest, BOCM PAULS, British Blue Cattle Society, British Limousin Cattle Society, DairyCo, Dovecote Park, EBLEX, EGENES, Genus, Hereford Cattle Society, HUK, Marks & Spencer, NMR, Norbreck Genetics, Shepherd Publishing, Viking Genetics and Waitrose.
I would also like to thank all of the committee for their excellent contributions and help during the year and in organising this 2012 conference. Special thanks to Phil Halhead, vice chairman, for his great success in securing sponsorship for the conference amidst his wedding plans! And last but by no means least a massive thank you to Lesley Lewin, our secretary for keeping both the committee and myself on track during the course of the year. Your commitment, enthusiasm and organising skills are legendary!
Duncan Sinclair
The Club was founded by Sir John Hammond and George Odlum in 1947. The first Annual Conference took place in 1948 and has grown from these early beginnings to become an important part of the livestock scene.
What makes Conference unique is that the audience and Speakers are divided between Breeders and Scientists and this gives the opportunity for wide ranging and balanced discussions, not always possible in one group type meetings. Not only do these discussions take place during the sessions, but also in the informal meetings among the delegates. Non-members are welcome but why not join the Club and get the fullest value?