ANM calls for ScotGov commitment to suckler herd

ABERDEEN and Northern Marts has called on the Scottish Government to urgently set out a ‘clear, effective and re-drawn agricultural policy’ which maintains the suckler herd whilst recognising the economic returns, food security, and environmental stewardship from farming.

Suggesting that government should not try to ‘reinvent the wheel’ or agri-policy, the cooperative has published an eight page decision document following its July conference, headlined ‘the time for talk is over – expertise must be put into action’.

As one of Scotland’s largest livestock marts, ANM understandably sees maintaining the suckler herd as a priority, and takes aim at any plans to ‘crudely’ reduce headage of livestock to hit emissions targets, suggesting instead that better efficiency can be achieved without cutting cows.

Chief Executive of ANM Group, Grant Rogerson, said: “The agricultural industry is currently at a crossroads. The UK is barely 60% self-sufficient in food production, and yet farmers are under pressure to do more to tackle twin climate and biodiversity crises. This situation is being compounded by challenging economics in every agricultural sector in terms of rising input costs and low returns.

“Now more than ever, industry is looking to our policy-makers for direction. That is why ANM Group is publishing Farming and the Future - A Discussion Paper on Policy for Agriculture, which draws together the views of our members with the expert insights kindly shared by our panel at the recent ANM Beyond 150 Conference.”