The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Advice chance to drive herd profitability
Beef farmers are encouraged to attend an event on a farm near Fortrose this month where they will be offered practical advice on maximising efficiency and driving suckler herd profitability.
After last year’s event at Cairnborrow Farm, which attracted more than 150 delegates, SAC Consulting is offering a follow-up event at Upper Raddery, farmed by Andrew and Mary-Jo Grant.
The mixed unit is home to a commercial suckler herd of 175 breeding females, with progeny primarily sold store between 10 and 12 months old at Dingwall Mart, with a smaller number finished and sold both deadweight and direct to consumers.
The free event will be held on Thursday June 15 and will continue the conversation on ‘Cows and Carbon’ including a panel of industry specialists chaired by Gavin Hill of SAC Consulting.
The panel includes Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains; Victoria Ballantyne, Clynelish Farm; Hugh Fraser, director of Dingwall & Highland Marts; and Steven Thomson, senior economist at SRUC.
Attendees can participate in four interactive stations all hosted by SAC Consulting and SRUC, covering a range of topics from body condition scoring and nutrition to methane inhibitors and an update on beef markets and profitability.
There will also be a demonstration of parasite diagnostic tool FecPac, by Conanvets, and an update on developments in technology on farms by Ross Robertson of Agri Epi.
Delegates will have the opportunity to take part in a friendly stock judging competition and visit a number of trade stands.
Gavin Hill from SRUC said although there has
been more positivity in the beef sector, farmers are still a long way from having full confidence in Scotland’s beef sector.
“In part, this is due to a lack of clarity around agricultural policy in the future and so during the debate, we want to take a temperature check of the industry and hear how beef farmers are preparing for the future,” he said.
The event will take place between 10.15am-3.30pm and is funded by the University Innovation Fund from the Scottish Funding Council.
Although free to attend, interested participants should register for catering purposes by phoning SAC Consulting’s Elgin office on 01343 548787 or by emailing elgin@sac.co.uk.