Co-operative selling 'would improve prices'

Farmers need to get better organised on the marketing front to avoid being "ripped off" by supermarkets.

This was the message yesterday from long-time farming leader John Cameron, who is president of both the Scottish Beef Cattle Association and the Scottish region of the National Sheep Association.

"Farmers should give greater consideration to the value of co-operative selling groups," he said. "We are often regarded as being weak sellers. Surely it would be better if we could organise ourselves to create some genuine selling power in the market for both beef and lamb.

"The pioneers of co-operative selling groups have organised themselves and employed selling professionals to get the best possible price in the market with the least risk of default from payment. It's time farmers took notice of this."

Cameron praised the example of Galashiels-based Farm Stock (Scotland) which now sells its stock to all corners of the UK and Ireland. He said it was too easy to complain about the power of the supermarkets, when the farming industry had made it easy for them by offering totally disorderly marketing.

"We need our selling co-operatives to provide scale and knowledge of the market within and beyond Scotland," he said.