Sainsbury's Farmers Offer Cash Back Incentive for Sustainable Farming
UK - Farmers on the Sainsbury’s milk, beef and lamb scheme are being offered a cash-back incentive to use top-rated grass varieties that will improve their production efficiency.
14 May 2013
2 minute read
Launched in the spring of 2012 and initially due to run until May this year, the collaboration between Sainsbury’s, AB Sustain and British Seed Houses that provides a 10 per cent cash-back refund on selected Aber® High Sugar Grass mixtures is now available exclusively to the Sainsbury’s Development Group network through to December 2013.
“This scheme is designed to help milk, beef and lamb suppliers improve their production efficiencies by achieving improved intakes and higher performance from their acreages,” explains Bob Beavan of AB Sustain. “In addition to the discount on these top-rated mixtures, we have been running grassland management workshops to help producers improve herd or flock performance.
“We’re extending the offer as there is continuing demand, having already seen over 900 acres of these high performance mixtures sown as part of the scheme. In addition to the six Aber High Sugar Grass mixtures offered previously, we are also adding the new AberXtend extended grazing mixture at the same 10 per cent discount.
Research shows grazing Aber HSG can boost yields by 6 per cent and is proven for meat production, adds Mr Beavan.
As well as yield effects and improvements on daily weight gains, AB Sustain says that greenhouse gas reductions are possible.
Sainsbury’s Development Group members can take advantage of this offer by purchasing any of seven designated mixtures from their regular seed suppliers and then providing proof of purchase and their AB Sustain / Sainsbury’s producer details to British Seed Houses. The scheme will now run in its current form to December 2013.
