Players in the Beef Country sector have signed a tripartite agreement (breeder, transformer, distributer) among the Sica Revia, Sica Viande Pays and the distribution brands of Reunion Island (Auchan, Carrefour, Intermark, Leader Price, Leclerc, Run Market, U system). This agreement reflects the objective of promoting Bœuf Pays brand products from meat cattle breeders in Reunion Island., in accordance with the General States of Food and the interprofessional sector contract initiated since 2019.
“This approach illustrates the commitments of the sector to offer local beef as closely as possible to the expectations of the people of Reunion Island in complete transparency and with a concern for permanent quality research..
After the Covid 19 crisis, the global crisis linked to the conflict in Ukraine once again shows the need for strong, forward-looking local production, quality and responsible on the model of short circuits. It also demonstrated the benefits for the territory and the breeders of the work carried out for many years, by consolidating the place of local products on retail shelves.” It is in this spirit of solidarity for the territory that the new Charter was signed on April 20. Charter which also links with the development strategy of the beef cattle sector by 2025, focused on quality production. To achieve these two objectives, quality and responsibility, the Sica Revia, which brings together beef cattle breeders, relies on the technical expertise of its members.
Maximum transparency from breeder to consumer
The 2022 Charter is structured around the ambition of marketing local beef on a regular and sustainable basis., in a balance between the market and production for a regular flow of production volumes all year round. For the consumer, it provides the assurance of finding quality meat with flawless traceability, produced in responsible farms, on a human scale. For the breeder producer, the assurance of an agreement guarantees the regular flow of volumes produced, with a guaranteed long-term recovery price. On their side, distributors undertake to give more space and visibility to Bœuf Pays brand products on their shelves and in their communication with consumers. Or better product identification, certificates of origin and traceability of meat, QR codes referring to the site www.toutsurleboeufpays.fr. The Boeuf Pays sector is finally committed to strengthening links between butchers and breeders through the discovery of butchery workshops for breeders, breeding visits for butchers and an annual butchery competition in the presence of breeders, butchers and consumers.
BEEF COUNTRY IN A FEW FIGURES
The sector has been organized within the ARIBEV inter-professional association since 1977.. The size of the farms (farrowing and farrowing-fattening farms) in 2021 : an average of 28 suckler cows on the 220 farms, 26 cows on average on the 182 farrowing farms and 39 on the 38 farrowing-fattening farms. The essentials of the wanderers (young cattle approximately three to ten months old) products in the department are fattened by the 85 fattening breeders with an average of 36 cattle fattened per year. All breeder and breeder-finisher farms are in the Hauts de l’île. 310 farms in total affiliated with the Sica Revia (almost 95% of local production). The sector represents nearly 400 direct jobs. It produced 1,483 tonnes in 2021. Local production covers almost 50% of the fresh market (20% of the total market).
