Tributes paid to farming stalwart

Tributes have been paid from across the industry to one of the leading figures in Scottish agriculture, who died suddenly at the weekend.

Donald Biggar OBE, who farmed at Chapelton near Castle Douglas was widely known in farming circles, having held key positions with NFU Scotland, Quality Meat Scotland, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and within both the Aberdeen Angus and Shorthorn breed societies.

“There are few people who will have contributed more to Scottish farming at a local, regional, national and international level than Donald Biggar,” said NFUS president, Andrew Mccornick.

“While organisations and politicians lined up to seek Donald’s sage counsel, he was always a farmer and a breeder of pedigree stock that were known world-wide.”

Local NFUS group secretary Michael coutts added :“he was a safe pair of hands, ever the diplomat but did not shy away when there was difficult work to be done.”

Sandy Cumming, current chairman of the SRUC Board, said that it had been with great sadness and shock that the organisation had learned of Biggar’s death at the age of 68: “He was a very successful, forward-looking farmer whose experience was invaluable on the SAC Board and his agricultural business acumen was a big influence on its strategy and direction.”

Barrie Turner of the Aberdeen Angus Society added: “Donald was a great stalwart of native British beef breeds and his Aberdeen-angus herd and the ethos on which it was run was well renowned throughout the Aberdeenangus membership.”