Scotland's beef producers seek three-level support system

Published on Thursday 5 November 2009 18:37

IN THE latest of the lobbying submissions to the Pack review on future farm support, the Scottish Beef Cattle Association has expressed the wish to see three levels of payments being made in order to ensure the continued existence of the livestock sector.

John Bell, SBCA chairman, said the vital point was to target support at farms with a commitment to maintain efficient systems with high outputs.

At the base level, he believed there should be payment for every productive hectare. This base payment would go to those in the best land with other farming options but also to mountainous areas where production was low on an acreage basis.

Land types between these two ends of the spectrum would get a higher rate of support provided the payment was linked to optimal stocking rates.

Then the SBCA wanted a top-up rate for those working at optimal stocking but also working to top level environmental and animal welfare standards.

The side benefit of the type of support suggested by the SBCA was that with the emphasis very much on livestock production and animal health and welfare, there would be improvements in the carbon emissions from the more efficient livestock.