Beef sector future on agenda at farm

They will be chewing the cud about carbon in the heart of Scotland’s beef farming country tomorrow. As the livestock industry wrestles with the competing demands of reducing emissions and improving productivity, the well-known Wordie family, from Cairnborrow near Huntly, will host an SAC Consulting technical day of interactive seminars and debates.

The free event, which includes lunch, will look at maximising the use of grass in a pasture-based system, dynamic health planning, methane inhibitors for beef cattle, putting virtual fencing into practice and the implications of the war in Ukraine on winter feed.

Specialists will be on hand throughout the day to answer questions and a panel discussion will debate how the Scottish beef industry prepares for the future.

It will be hosted by Andrew Lacey, head of SAC Consulting, who said it was an opportunity for producers to meet and discuss ways in which to build a stronger and more sustainable future for the sector.

“The beef sector faces an array of challenges across productivity, consumer expectations around emissions and global market forces,” he said.

“Our beef industry in Scotland has the chance to showcase a great response – being a sustainable, nutritious and climatefriendly product – that will take effort from us all and it is important we talk about these issues and the opportunities they can present.”

Panel members include Orkney farmer Colin Davidson from Skail and Shetlander Kirsty Budge from Bigton, as well as SRUC senior economist Steven Thomson.

Virgin Money’s head of agriculture, Brian Richardson, will also be taking part.

SAC Consulting’s Kirsten Williams, who will be chairing the event, said: “The day has been designed to give producers practical messages driven by science to improve livestock and suckler cow efficiency, allowing knowledge to transfer between researchers, vets, specialists and food producers.

“We are facing huge environmental and policy challenges to the beef sector and the event aims to offer a platform to discuss these and investigate the opportunities this brings to the sector.”

The day will run from 10.15am to 3.30pm.

Anyone interested in attending is asked to register by calling SAC Consulting’s Elgin office on 01343 548787 or emailing elgin@sac.co.uk

HOSTS: Nicola, Margo and George Wordie, whose farm at Cairnborrow, near Huntly, is the setting for the technical day.

The day aims to help farms improve livestock efficiency.