Milk, beef and lamb producers in the Sainsbury’s Development Group supplier network now have discounted access to the market-leading Aber High Sugar Grass mixtures as part of a collaboration to improve the farms’ carbon footprints.

Jointly organised by British Seed Houses and the supply chain consultancy AB Sustain, the new scheme offers Sainsbury’s Development Group members a 10% cash-back refund on purchases of any of six premium mixtures in the Aber High Sugar Grass range up to May 2013. 

“This is all part of a wider initiative that we are running with Sainsbury’s to improve the carbon footprints of their supplier farms,” says Bob Beavan of AB Sustain.
 
“We are running grassland management workshops to help producers improve the performance of their leys, thereby achieving better milk and meat production efficiencies.
 
“Part of our role at AB Sustain is to trawl the industry for the best technologies and methods, to ensure Sainsbury’s suppliers are maximising performance and minimising their carbon footprints.
 
“The Aber High Sugar Grass varieties stand out on the official Recommended Lists for their yield and quality and are proven to improve meat and milk production. There is research to show dairy herds grazing Aber HSG grasses can produce up to 6% more milk per cow over the grazing season, with a 3% improvement in diet digestibility.

“Similar data is available on beef and lambs, with higher daily liveweight gains, higher stock carrying capacities and animals reaching slaughter weights more quickly.
 
“In addition, there is new evidence emerging on the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock fed these high sugar grasses. We are responding to the information available and advising farmers accordingly.”

Sainsbury’s Development Group members can take advantage of this offer by purchasing any of the six 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 run in its current form to May 2013.