ABOVE: Laura Ractliffe, R.A.B.I Regional Manager, Minette Batters, NFU President and Ladies in Beef co-founder and Jilly Greed, Devon farmer and Ladies in Beef co-founder.  

Ladies in Beef – a group of more than 150 female beef farmers from across the UK – will be championing British beef and British beef farmers during Great British Beef Week, which runs from April 23-30.

This will be the 10th anniversary of the annual campaign and R.A.B.I is again the campaign’s charity partner. It’s estimated that Great British Beef Week has already helped generate £90,000 for R.A.B.I since the charity first became involved in the campaign, so this year’s fundraising target is £10k in order to break through the £100k mark.

“Ladies in Beef was formed to help drive awareness of the quality and versatility of British beef to consumers using a country-wide network of dynamic lady beef producers,” said co-founder and Devon farmer Jilly Greed.

“All of our ‘LIBs’ are British beef farmers and proud of it! Ten years on, the importance of promotion has never been more critical. We are asking the whole supply chain to really get behind Great British Beef Week this year to fly the flag and champion our home-produced product.”

Jilly is a fourth-generation farmer from Devon’s Exe Valley. She said: “British livestock is produced to some of the highest welfare standards in the world. Here, our suckler beef herds are vital for landscape management, in order to maintain the critical carbon sink for damaging greenhouse gases. Great British Beef Week gives us a tremendous opportunity to bang the drum for our wonderful beef farmers.”

Ladies in Beef co-founder and NFU President Minette Batters believes beef farmers must engage with consumers to communicate key messages on quality and farm assurance. She said: “Ladies in Beef is entirely a voluntary organisation. Very soon after formation we quickly discovered how we could help influence consumer trust in our product, where the public could relate to nurturing, cooking and caring for the family alongside raising livestock to high production standards. It’s such an achievement to reach a 10th anniversary as well as raise thousands of pounds for the vital work of R.A.B.I.”

Ladies in Beef support the Red Tractor mark, promoting farm assured quality meat. All beef carrying the Red Tractor logo can be traced back to the farms the livestock came from.

To find out more about Great British Beef Week and how you can get involved go to www. ladiesinbeef.org.uk

To donate to R.A.B.I go to www.justgiving.com/campaign/gbbw2020