A REMARKABLE year's business in the UK is highlighted in figures released this week by the British Limousin Cattle Society.

Official society sales saw pedigree stock break through the £6m barrier to record an overall gross total of £6,006,530.

As a consequence of this ongoing growth in demand, pedigree Limousin breeders registered 18,026 calves with the society in 2004, a new breed record for the sixth consecutive year and an increase of more than 2,000, and 11pc up, on the previous year. The breakdown was 9,656 heifer calves and 8,370 bull calves.

The society also gained 150 new members, taking the overall total to just over 2,500.

Official society sales last year grossed £3,697,091, with 36 official breeders' sales grossing £2,309,439. Within those figures, bulls averaged £2,930, cows £3,158 and heifers, both maiden and in-calf, £1,982. In total, 2,487 animals sold at an average of £2,415.

Aled Edwards, society chairman, warmly welcomed the figures. "The Limousin breed continues to expand its influence on British beef production with its advantages of calving ease, growth, milk, fertility, feed efficiency, killing out percentage and meat yield," he said. "These are the bread-and-butter, economically-relevant attributes recognised by both commercial producers and the meat trade.

"Breed improvement is demonstrably continuous and breeders are offering consistent, predictable cattle with the flexibility to meet a breadth of market segments."

Iain Kerr, the society's chief executive, said breeders continued to add value to their Limousin cattle through rigorous selection and improved performance and he stressed that the society would continue to invest in maintaining and enhancing a progressive and balanced technical and marketing breed programme.

"These figures are a great all-round endorsement of the breed and it is the society's aim to consolidate and build from this strong platform. Significant investment has been budgeted for 2005 to introduce and progress new initiatives that will drive forward breed improvement, and further increase the provenance of 'British Limousin' as a reliable and profitable brand," he said.