The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Rankin supreme at AA summer national show
Awards: Kilmaluag Eriskay secures the top honour for Isle of Skye breeder
Scottish breeders enjoyed success at this year’s Summer National Show of Aberdeen-Angus cattle.
The show, staged at the Westmorland County Show, was judged by Andrew Hodge from Rulesmains Aberdeen-Angus in the Borders.
He awarded his supreme champion title to the overall junior champion, January 2017 born bull Kilmaluag Eriskay from Isle of Skye breeder Donald Rankin.
By Retties JFK and out of Mosston Muir Etta, he went on to stand reserve interbreed champion at Westmorland that day.
Back in the national Aberdeen-Angus show ring, the reserve overall champion title went to seven-year-old cow Dalcrest Joylady Erica, by The Moss Mr Eshton, from Colin Rodger, Clarencefield, Dumfries.
Other prizewinners included the reserve female and reserve senior female champion title for a heifer named Ballindalloch Ebony, by Ballindalloch Earl, from Ballindalloch Home Farms, Banffshire.
The reserve overall junior champion award went to a young heifer named Galcantray Betty from David Walker of Galcantray Farm, Cawdor, Nairn.
Mr Walker also took home the reserve bull calf champion title with Galcantray Energiser.
Meanwhile, Richard and Carol Rettie of Methven, Perth, won the junior reserve champion title with April-2017 born bull Retties Lord Harvey, by Gretnahouse Blackpot.
The Retties also landed the reserve overall and senior male champion titles with five-year-old bull Water End Payton, by Blelack Evergreat.
The reserve senior champion title went to David Walker’s two-yearold bull HW Jeremy Eric, by Rawburn Boss.
Meanwhile both the champion and reserve prizes in the heifer calf championship went to entries from the Retties.
Their champion was January-born Retties Evita, by Retties JFK, which went on to stand overall calf champion.
The reserve heifer champion was Retties Ruisseau.
This also won the reserve junior female championship. Concerns about future interest-rate rises could be behind the first realterms fall in borrowing by Scottish farms for almost a decade.
Farms owed a total of £2.34 billion to banks and other lenders in 2017-18, figures show.
This was up £22m on the previous year but, when inflation was accounted for, lending to agriculture fell by £13m. This 1% drop was the first time since 2009 that outstanding borrowing had not risen in real terms.
“The slowdown in the amount of lending may be a sign of uncertainty in the future prospects of agriculture,” the Scottish Government said.
“Factors that could affect the slow-down might include overall weak growth in the economy, or concerns that interest rates may rise in the future.”
Borrowing by the sector is estimated to be worth 10% of farms’ total assets, described by government as “relatively low” because farming has a number of high-value assets such as land.