project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
2016-013 - FROM GRASS TO TABLE. Production and marketing of differentiated quality meat from pastures and in-house resources
Context
El censo de vacas nodrizas en el País Vasco representa el 2,31% del censo nacional. Su reto en el momento actual en el que existe una volatilidad de los mercados de materias primas, descenso de consumo de carne de vacuno, necesidad de hacer frente a los desafíos medioambientales, reforma de la PAC... requiere una evolución para recuperar el consumo interno, consolidar los mercados, y optimizar los costes de producción aumentando la competitividad y rentabilidad de las explotaciones, mejorar la posición de los productores en la cadena de valor agroalimentaria y avanzar en la organización sectorial.
En el País Vasco, el mayor volumen de carne consumida corresponde al de novillas, alimentadas en base a cebo, entre los 4-6 meses y los 12 meses de edad. Este sistema implica altos costes de alimentación entre el 46 y el 56% de los costes variables, siendo el gasto más importante después del de la mano de obra.
Existe en nuestro ámbito geográfico, depanda de carne de calidad, y un desabastecimiento del mercado local, circustancias que brindan una oportunidad real para el sector de vacuno de carne.
Según estudios de mercado, la carne en destino fnal adquiere un valor entre 3 y 6 veces superior al precio que se paga al productor. La carne producida en base a pasto presenta diferencias sustanciales con la carne procedente de cebadero intensivo. desde el punto de vista organoléptico el consumidor no las diferencia, pero desde el punto de vista de la comercialización son más estables y dietéticamente más saludables.
Objectives
The general objective of the present project is to supply the demand from the hotel and catering industry for meat of differentiated quality produced in the local environment on the basis of animals kept in pasture.
- Phase I: Rearing and fattening of calves on a pasture basis. Design of a protocol for handling and feeding of grass-fed animals.
- Phase II: Slaughter and Maturation of carcasses and meat quality. Study of the impact of the slaughter and maturation of the meat on the final quality of the meat-.
- Phase III: Marketing of grass-based carcasses. Marketing of the entire channel for use in a scheduled menu.
- Phase IV dissemination of the activities and results of the project.
Activities
Phase I: Raising and fattening of calves on pasture.
Phase II: Slaughter and Maturation of carcasses and meat quality
Phase III: Marketing of pasture-based carcasses.
Phase IV: Comunication and Dissemination of the activities and results of the project.
Additional comments
Estos sistemas de producción en base a forrajes, y comercialización directa, debieran permitir en última instancia recuperar la sostenibilidad de la actividad, debido a la reducción del coste de alimentación y al incremento de los ingresos percibidos por el productor. Por otra parte cubrirían la demanda puntual de carne de calidad diferenciada que una parte de los consumidores parece estar demandando.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014ES06RDRP015 Spain - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - País Vasco
Location
- Main geographical location
- Vizcaya
- Other geographical location
- Álava, Guipúzcoa
EUR 166 405.00
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
9 Practice Abstracts
Tasting panel.
The samples have been kept frozen until the moment of the tasting. The pieces that have been tasted are the grilled stifle and the stewed skirt. They have been evaluated by 200 cooks and consumers between 18 and 75 years of age. Personnel accustomed to consuming beef.
a) Stewed meat. Breed and type of food. Acceptance 6-7ptos out of 9. Appearance, colour and texture. They do not differentiate any of the variables of the study. Age: under 35 years of age, they prefer stewed meat from grass; over 35 years of age, they prefer stewed meat because of its texture. Profession: consumers prefer stewed bait meat, and cooks prefer grass-fed meat for taste and texture. Breed there are no differences, there are only differences when segmenting the panel for the Pyrenean breed, cooks 67% prefer stewed grass meat, and 63% of consumers prefer bait meat.
b) Griddle. Consumer acceptance 6-7 pts. out of 9 there are no differences between type of food, bait or grass. Age of the tasters, under 35 years old, prefer bait meat for its taste. Profession, consumers prefer grilled meat for its texture and cooks prefer grilled meat for its taste. Breed No difference in preference. Segmenting the population, there are differences in preference for the Pyrenean breed, age, all prefer the meat to the grilled bait less than 35 55%, over 35 63%. 68% prefer meat to bait, compared to 32% who prefer grass.
Impact of the use of the carcass protection cover at the optimum point of maturation
a) Monchina the use of the cover at the maturation stage provides carcasses with whiter fat, carcasses with lower odour intensity, and softer meat. When cooking the meat, it has more aroma and is juicier.
b) Pirenaica the use of the casing provides less brown carcasses, 'whiter carcass' fat, carcass has more aroma and the meat is less hard, when cooking it has more aroma, and more juicy.
Dissemination and Communication.
Two reports have been made on regional television EITB in the program SUSTRAIA.
The results of the project have been presented to agents of the meat sector in Bizkaia.
A meat tasting has been made in the hotel management school of Leioa.
Prestigious professional chefs have prepared a brochure with recipes from the less noble parts of the channel, in Basque and Spanish, and it has been disseminated in the food markets of Bizkaia
Ripening of the carcasses.
The ripening temperature has been at 7 and 13ºC during the first 7 hours, and it has been matured during 7, 14 and 21 days.
A) Monchina
Maturation at 7ºC.
The optimum ripening time is 21 days, with no significant differences observed in the parameters studied, meat colour intensity, odour, hardness (raw and cooked) and juiciness (cooked). Differences that are observed after 7 days, in favour of grass-fed meat.
When maturation is at 13ºC the first 7 hours after 7 days the carcasses present differences in the parameters studied, the carcasses produced from grass have a browner colour, less odour and hardness (raw and cooked) and greater juiciness (cooked) than the fattened meat. The optimum ripening time is 14 days and at this time all the parameters are significantly better for the fattened meat.
b) Pirenaica
Ripening at 7ºC.
The optimum ripening time is 21 days, with no significant differences observed in the parameters studied, intensity of meat colour, odour, hardness (raw and cooked) and juiciness (cooked), differences which are observed at 7 days, grass meat colour less brown and odour less.
Maturation at 13ºC.
The optimum maturation time for both meats is 14 days. Differences are observed at 7 and 14 days between both meats, at 7 days the fat meat has fat color (whiter), less hardness of the raw meat and more juiciness (cooked); at 14 days differences in fat color, greater intensity of flavor and aroma.
2.- Sacrifice and maturation of the carcasses.
Recording of temperature and humidity in the slaughter area before the start of work. Weighing and classification of carcasses and transfer to the airing area. Recording of temperature and humidity and pH of the carcasses.
In the airing chamber they are 8 hours at room temperature. 5 hours after entering the airing chamber, the tpa. and pH of the carcasses are recorded. After 8 hours in the aeration chamber, the temperature of the chamber is lowered, an effect which is observed in the channels one hour later. The temperatures of the carcasses are recorded at 10, 11, 12 and 24 hours. Another important drop in the tpa of the carcass is observed at 24 hours. After 24 hours, the carcasses are transferred to the maturation chambers at 1-1.5ºC.
The carcasses mature in the form of half a carcass with a sheath. The sheath better preserves the appearance and colour of the carcass. The control of the maturation of the carcasses has been carried out on a weekly basis.
1.4 Growth of veal based on pasture - recommendations:
The production systems compared were: feedlot systems with concentrates and straw at will on one side (conventional bait), and those based on hay from esparto grass or grassland depending on the availability of the latter, also supplied at will, and supplemented with limited quantities of concentrates (grass-based bait). The animals were of the Monchina (Artzentales) or Pirenaica (Iurreta) breeds. In the grazing based systems, 0-126 days of finishing with feed (4 kg oats + 250 ml cold pressed rapeseed oil) were carried out.
a) Trial with Monchina breed veal
- The type of feeding has not generated differences in growth between the batches.
- The GMD may be considered low and probably these results are due to the low weight of the animals at weaning, and that these were done at very early ages.
- Carcass performance is as expected
- Observed CIs are better in grazing animals
- Feed costs are 59% lower in the grazing flock than in the conventional bait flock
- The quality of the channels is no different depending on the type of power supply.
b) Trial with Pyrenean breed veal
- The type of feeding has generated differences in growth between the batches (1.33 vs 0.79).
- The GMD of conventionally fattened animals is 68% higher than that of animals fattened on pasture.
- The yield of the carcass is the expected and superior in conventional over grazing (63 vs 56%)
- The CIs observed are better in conventionally fed animals
- Feed costs are 63% lower in the grazing flock than in the conventional bait flock
- The quality of the channels is no different depending on the type of power supply.
1.3 Importance of processing/purchasing quality fodder.
Recommendations:
- Importance of first cut date for successive cuts, nutritional quality, etc
- Always mow in the vegetative stage because although you get less grass, the nutritional quality of the grass is much better.
- If you obtain medium-low quality fodder, use it for animals with less need, dry cattle.
1.- Breeding and fattening of veal
1.2. Nutritional quality of the grass, annual and seasonal
a) Artzentales
- The samples of grass collected in the two periods present very good quality, the gross protein is greater than 19%, which allows to recommend to follow the rationed grazing, to improve the rotation of the same one in order not to harm its production, since the area of production is less favorable and gives yields inferior to 10000 kg of MS/ha/year.
- The analysis of preserved fodder reflects an average quality of 8% PB, which indicates that it is a poor quality fodder.
- These results make it possible to recommend following the guidelines for producing good fodder on the farm in periods when grass production is at its highest and cannot be eaten by the teeth, or incorporating purchased fodder of good quality for winter feeding into livestock feed.
b) Iurreta
- The samples of grass collected have a PB of 13.5%, although in the months of May and July they do not exceed 12%, in the rest of the period they exceed 14%, reaching a maximum of 16.8% in the month of September. These data of deficient quality can be compensated with the high productions of grass in the farm 10700 Kg of MS/ha/year.
- The production of preserved fodder, spring hay has a PB 9%, which would enter the definition of poor quality forage. The grass balls have an average PB 11.2%, which indicates that this forage is not of good quality either.
- These results make it possible to recommend following the guidelines for making good fodder on the farm, or incorporating purchased fodder of good quality for winter feeding into livestock feed.
1.- Breeding and fattening of veal. Annual and seasonal grass productio.
a) Artzentales
- The total annual production of the meadows is 9,983 kg MS/ha/year, which is somewhat lower than the production found in Iurreta and in the pastures of Gipuzkoa (Amella and Ferrer, 1990).
- The largest productions are in the months of April-July.
- Between the months of November and March there is a vegetative stop, so it is necessary to seek alternative feeding of the calves for these months. To do this, it is considered essential to make good quality silage or hay.
- Plan grazing in the meadows according to the number of animals and needs in such a way as to allow good quality fodder to be produced with the surplus that cannot be used to feed the animals.
b) Iurreta
- The total annual production of the meadows is 10,700 kg MS/ha/year, which is good production for the agro-climatic conditions in which it is found, similar to those found by Amella and Ferrer (1900). In addition, the very rainy spring has allowed for higher yields and a longer period in the spring (until July).
- The largest productions occur in the months of April-July. The month of June the production is lower because he made a cut for silo balls.
- There is another important grass peak in October.
- Between the months of November and March there is a vegetative stop, so we have to look for alternative feeding of the calves for these months. To do this, it is considered essential to make a good quality silo or hay.
Recommendation: plan the need for pasture grass, to mow and preserve quality fodder with the surplus, and carry out rotational grazing in the meadows to make better use of the grass produced to avoid rejections.
Contacts
Project coordinator
-
Landa Garapenerako Alkartea ENKARTERRIALDE
Project coordinator
Project partners
-
Azti
Project partner
-
GyE EMUSAN, SL
Project partner
-
Urkiola Landa Garapenerako-Alkartea
Project partner
-
Neiker tecnalia
Project partner