Auctioneers and QMS ‘ must work together more’
A call for a closer working relationship between the major bodies involved in marketing Scotland’s livestock and red meat was issued at a conference in Edinburgh yesterday.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland, president S cott Donaldson said a greater degree of communication between the IAAS and the promotional body, Quality Meat Scotland would be to the benefit of the whole livestock industry.
Donaldson said he felt greater credit was due to the role which his institute played in handling the estimated two- thirds of the country’s sheep and cattle which passed through auction sale rings, adding that more recognition was also needed of the important and diverse role which auction businesses played in the hills and islands.
He also said t hat with more l i a i s o n, a uct i o n - eers could help to talk up the important role which QMS played, but which was often undervalued by producers on the ground.
He s a i d: “We need t o pull in the same direction – there’s a livestock mart running somewhere in the country every day of the week and we could do a lot of good promotion if there is more dialogue between ourselves and QMS.”
And while the IAAS i s currently represented on several of the promotional body’s working groups and committees, QMS’S Stuart Ashworth confirmed there was no representative from the auction marts on the main board, adding: “A seat on the board isn’t in the gift of the organisation itself as representatives are made byministerial appointment.”
Stating that the key role played by auctioneers in p r e s e r v i ng t he i mportant stratified structure of Scotland’s livestock industr y was not in question, Ashworth agreed a closer working relationship would be beneficial, indicating that any lack of communication was due more to “busy people syndrome” than anything else.
no- deal Brexit in October would be considerably worse for the sheep industr y than one in April, as i t f ell during t he prime export period – and the prop os e d £ 1 5 0 mill i on compensation package would do l i ttle to offset losses, it was claimed.
NFU Scotland vice- president Charlie Adam said the figure would do little to compensate for the 40 per cent drop in price which was likely to result.
“An £ 80 hogg could see its price fall by £ 32 – and the compensation would be worth around £ 9 a ewe, which would equate to £ 5 a lamb on a flock with a high lambing percentage and around £ 12 a lamb on a low performing flock.”