Beef Cattle Breeders Elect a New Board
On Friday, April 12, the general meeting of the Estonian Beef Cattle Breeders’ Society took place, where a new nine-member board was elected for the next three years. The outgoing chairperson, Jane Mättik, noted that the new board has several important goals for the upcoming period. “We must strongly advocate for our needs during the next CAP budget period; no one can do that for us,” she affirmed.
Many society members gathered in Keava to hold the general meeting. In addition to approving the annual report, a new board was elected. The elected members are: Maria Liisa Luur, Airi Külvet, Tiina Tomson, Aldo Vaan, Jane Mättik, Andres Vaan, Marko Hiiemäe, Kristjan Jürisalu, and Mihkel Olt. Additionally, Aldo Vaan was unanimously elected as an honorary member of the association.
According to the outgoing chairperson Jane Mättik, one of the new board’s most important tasks is to strengthen the financial side of the society and to overcome budget shortcomings. “We need to find projects that help the society implement necessary activities and goals in beef cattle farming,” she emphasized.
As another major task, Mättik mentioned discussions regarding the new CAP budget (Estonian Rural Development Program). “Very soon, there will be meetings of working groups for the next period, and we need to be strongly present during these discussions. It must be considered that no one will do this work for us, as we alone possess detailed information about our sector’s difficulties and needs,” she confirmed.
Mättik mentioned that 2023 was a challenging year for beef cattle breeders, with the number of animals returning to the levels of 2016. The calving rate also dropped when comparing 2023 to the previous year. However, this year, there is satisfaction with the proportion of purebred cattle in the herd. While in other European countries, the proportion of purebred cattle fluctuates around 20%, in Estonia, this figure is 23%.
According to Mättik, there were several successes during the previous period. “We can certainly be satisfied with the principles of support agreed upon for the beef sector. Significant efforts were required to find solutions,” she admitted. She added that the results of the previous board’s work were undoubtedly influenced by the presence of industry-specific individuals who, as experts in the field, brought the sector more into the spotlight. “The aim of the board is for everyone to engage in the area that suits them best and in which they excel, as that is how progress is made.”
The Estonian Beef Cattle Breeders’ Society was established on June 21, 2000. Today, the society has 329 members.
Text author: Juuli Nemvalts