A 'SUPERCOW' which is set to revolutionise the beef industry is to be developed in East Yorkshire, thanks to a major Government grant.

It is hoped the radical new breeding programme will produce longer-living cattle which yield more high quality meat at a lower cost.

The project received a massive boost this month when the Ministry of Agriculture awarded a £185,000 grant to the Beef Improvement Grouping Ltd (BIG).

BIG's technical director, Richard Fuller, who farms at Great Givendale, near Pocklington said: "The grant is a vote of confidence in a scheme which will revolutionise beef breeding and the beef market in this country."

Mr Fuller said the breeding programme aimed to make the British beef farmer more competitive in the global market by introducing stock which will produce beef of high eating quality at a competitive price.

"The end result will be beef cattle which produce consistent yields of higher quality meat at lower cost to the farmer and also satisfies consumer demand for eating quality, animal welfare and traceability."

Using natural selection, the project intends to develop composite breeds which combine the best genetic traits of specific maternal beef breeds.

If successful, BIG anticipates that the results of the programme could produce 20,000 replacement heifers per year - about 10pc of the market - within seven to ten years, and be worth around £11m to farmers in improved efficiency.

PICTURE: RICHARD FULLER: technical director of Beef Improvement Grouping Ltd