Scottish beef premiums 'facing threat from other countries'

SCOTTISH beef farmers who are used to receiving a premium for their beef were yesterday advised not to sit back and take the added cash for granted - because other farmers were moving to get their own distinctive, and profitable, edge in the market.

John Gilliland, former president of the Ulster Farmers Union, was speaking at a Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) livestock event in Edinburgh where the latest technology and experimental work was being publicised.

He urged producers in Scotland not to rest on their laurels. "You currently have this premium which is based on the perception of the way you produce your cattle and sheep. You do not just need to protect it. You need to look at how you can build upon it," he said.

"If you do not, I can tell you that farmers in other countries, and that includes Ireland, are looking at how they can move from their commodity price into one where they can get a premium."

Gilliland, a board member of SAC, had been asked why so few practical farmers were at the event which was dominated by advisers, consultants and industry lobbyists.

He admitted that most farmers considered there were "more sexy topics" than talking about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and working out carbon footprints. Although productivity and profitability were closer to the hearts and minds of practical livestock producers, he said, "farmers should not be afraid to embrace science".

However, he and others speaking at the SAC were adamant that the Scottish Government's target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 42 per cent by 2020 provided a "win-win" situation for the industry.

Reduction in the emissions were almost always linked to efficient production, according to Andy McGowan, of Quality Meat Scotland.

However, the scientists now want to go back to basics so that they understand more about how to tackle the problem, which is why there is millions of pounds' worth of experimental work now being carried out.

In one major experiment, SAC has six enclosed chambers to monitor the precise greenhouse gas outputs from individual animals. From these, it can compare the effects of diet on the amount of methane gas being produced.

Work is also being carried out on differing levels of emissions from different breeds of cattle, and while Bob Rees, head of the SAC's Carbon Management Centre, said they were already picking up differences, he was reluctant to publicise them yet. He did say it was already obvious that emissions are linked to genetics.

Scotland is also playing a major role in a 5 million project looking at losses of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is considered 300 times more potent than methane.

Most of the problems lie in incorrect fertilizer usage, and the experiment is looking at how losses can be reduced while at the same time saving the farmer money in fertilizer bills.