The theme adopted for the Beef Expo, to be held at Perth Agricultural Centre on May 21, is Engage with Beef - Sustainable Systems.

Chairman of the organising committee is Perthshire beef farmer Randal Wilson, who commented: "Beef Expo is being held at an important time for the beef industry, and we are at something of a crossroads.

"Beef producers have had a decade and more of relentless economic pressure as a result of low returns, pressure from supermarkets to keep prices down and the combined effects of BSE, foot-and-mouth disease and now bluetongue disease.

"It is not surprising that the UK beef suckler herd has been in steady decline."

According to Meat and Livestock Commission figures, beef consumption in the UK is back to, and even exceeding, pre-1996 levels.

Beef exports are surging ahead, the market has absorbed the return of cows to the food chain and imports are likely to be less available for various reasons, not least the burgeoning demand for beef elsewhere in the world.

According to Wilson, all this is good news for the industry and has brought a return of confidence to beef producers.

"The improved returns will hopefully help stabilise the suckler herd and perhaps even reverse the decline in cow numbers.

"Certainly, if the current decline continues, there is a real danger that we will lose critical mass that will have serious repercussions for the slaughter industry.

"But", he added, "and there's always a but - we are not yet out of the wood. The soaring cost of feed, fertiliser and fuel means that margins are probably no better than they were when prices were languishing at around £2.20 per kilo, and few beef producers will be achieving a profit without the single farm payment."

The theme of Beef Expo picks up on the continuing need to improve efficiency and reduce costs where possible to ensure sustainable systems and profitability in the long-term, if and when the single payment disappears.

One of the demonstrations - EBVs Made Easy - will highlight the importance of estimated breeding values in the selection of breeding stock.

"Finlay McGowan (cattle breeder) put it well the other day when he suggested that an ounce of breeding was worth a tonne of feed and that is the point," Wilson stressed.

"Any improvement in genetics is a permanent improvement that will be of benefit from generation to generation.

"There are still those who maintain that bulls can be selected on looks only, but the demonstration will feature bulls of four breeds that are very similar in appearance but have very different performance figures. This illustrates the importance of taking estimated breeding values into account as well as visual appearance in selecting a stock bull.

"The breeding of replacement females, and the type of cow most suitable for particular conditions, is also becoming increasingly important as more farmers adopt a closed herd policy as a means of keeping out disease."