The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
HARVEST HANGS IN THE BALANCE -
Brechin’s abattoir is battling to clear a backlog of 15,000 slaughter-ready pigs which built up on Scottish farms after the plant closed for two weeks in January.
The priority for the Scottish Pig Producers co-operative, which accounts for the majority of the suppliers to the slaughterhouse, is to reduce the pressure on member farms, so producers are accepting heavily discounted prices in order to get stock moved quickly.
The plant closed at the end of January after employees tested positive for coronavirus but slaughtering facilities were already disrupted at other meat plants across the UK and the number of pigs ready for slaughter mounted rapidly.
The co-operative’s managing director Andy McGowan said heavy discounting is now taking place in order to find slaughtering space for pigs.
“At the moment we are not being too precious about pricing,” he said.
“We’d rather move the pigs and get farms back to normal and bear the financial consequences subsequently.”
The value of pig meat has fallen around 30p per kilo since its peak last year, with the price now hovering around 124ppk.
“It has been a sharp reduction but we are cautiously optimistic that it could be a short-lived slump,” said Mr McGowan.
“The European pig price is starting to go up which might suggest the worst of the reduction is coming to an end. The backlog should be resolved in the next month and that should then coincide with reopening of hospitality and catering markets.”
One of the biggest implications of the virus outbreak is the loss of a valuable licence to export to China.
Latterly the Chinese market accounted for more than 25% of throughput,
and the market offered outlets for parts of the carcase that are not in demand here.
“Our trade is based on trust so we surrendered the licence voluntarily and now that we’re designated clear (of the virus) by public health authorities we have
reapplied,” McGowan.
“The timescale for that is out of our control which is a concern as it reduces the overall value of the pigs. Northern Ireland had the same issue last autumn and they got their licence back in November.
said
Mr
“We are following standard procedure but in the short term it does create a problem.”
Another issue for pig producers is that feed overheads are rapidly rising with high prices for both grain and soya.
A Simmental from the Green family’s Corskie herd made the top price of 8,800gns at the Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ online sale of pedigree multi-breed bulls, where 22 sires sold to average £4495.91.
Leading the way at 8,800gns was Corskie Kirby, a 17-month-old bull by Dirnanean Bradley, bred out of the Corskie Delboy-sired cow, Corskie Fergie. He sold to Dalchirla Farms, Muthill, Crieff.
Two other Simmentals produced the next two top prices, with Backmuir King Kong from Reece and Andrew Simmers, Backmuir, Keith, realising 7,500gns to J and JS Wilken, Raefin, Keith. Gary Christie, Birchfield, Midtown of Glass, Huntly, sold his 17-month-old bull Rockytop Krakatoa for 6,700gns to I Murray, Doonby, Glassel, Banchory.
The Limousin section topped at 6,000gns for Wedderburn Princeton from Jim and Sandy Hunter, Wedderburn, Huntly, and bought by Miller Farms, North Lurg, Midmar.
Meanwhile, a Simmental from the Islavale herd made the top price of 7,000gns at the company’s live multibreed bull sale where 16 bulls sold to average £4,902. The sale leader was Islavale Kenny, a 22-month-old bull from the Stronach family at Berryleys, Keith, bought by RJ and L Gaudie, Netherskaill, Birsay.
Three Charolais bulls sold at 6,000gns – Elrick Phantom from Mike Massie, Mains of Elrick, Ellon, Auchincrieve; Piranha from the McCombie family from Rothiemay; and Kinclune Powerhouse from J Baxter, Troup Home Farm, Gamrie, Banff.
Scottish agriculture contributes around a quarter of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions, making us a significant contributor to climate change.
The Scottish Government has committed to meet legally-binding targets on these emissions. It has also committed to contributing to biodiversity targets.
Our industry needs to show willing to step up and deliver, while still producing top quality food.
The new farmers’ union president, Martin Kennedy, and myself were asked to co-chair the Scottish Government’s farmer-led hill, upland and crofting group.
Our group has been asked to deliver a range of recommendations for our sector to hit these targets, while improving profitability, efficiency and guide future sustainable land use in the less favoured areas (LFA).
We’ve also been asked to look at emission reductions and efficiencies right across the Scottish sheep flock.
The full remit and the list of our group’s members can be found at gov.scot/ publications/ hill-upland-and-croftinggroup-remit
Our group represents a wide demographic and a great depth of knowledge and the online meeting format has ensured good turnouts.
Everyone has given up a significant amount of their time and they all care passionately, with emails arriving into the wee small hours along with regular phone calls and messages with feedback and ideas.
We’ve heard from a wide range of experts, called for evidence from individuals and industry representative
organisations and many research scientific papers.
There’s a very blunt message – if we do nothing, the dangers to our planet are real, with a very bleak outlook for humanity, the environment around us and everything in it.
As James Rebanks recently highlighted in his best-selling book English Pastoral, it’s not a case of the environment versus production – we can do both with a balanced, holistic approach.
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The LFAs of Scotland carry more environmental designations, (SSSI, SPA and SACs) than the rest of the UK put together.
Many crofters and farmers already operate within High Nature Value practices. The limitations of the land makes working with nature the easiest way.
The demands of tree planting must be balanced against the right tree in the right place.
This must be science-led when it comes to peat disturbance.
We all know what bad policy looked like in the late 1970s and ’80s, as large tracts of deep peat in the north’s flow country was mercilessly ploughed up and planted.
It was an environmental disaster.
More integrated trees and hedges will need to be planted, where appropriate and ambitious peatland restoration projects will have to happen to reduce degraded peat-emitting carbon – alongside implementing measures to
increase biodiversity, improve water quality, soil health and, in parts, deer management.
Improved production efficiencies can reduce our carbon footprint and increase profitability.
We’ll need activity and boots on the ground to deliver all these objectives, clear support and industry understanding on what’s needed and how to deliver those outcomes, as well as producing food, maintaining viable rural communities, businesses
and keeping lights the hills and glens.
As Bob Dylan sang, The Times Are A Changin’. It’s how we as an industry adjust to these changes that will be key to our future success and sustainability.
Time to look in the mirror and ask yourself if you can step up and deliver more for future generations and our planet. on in
Joyce Campbell farms at Armadale on the north coast of Sutherland