The beef industry in Scotland should aim to increase production by more than 11% by 2020, a group of experts has suggested.
The Beef 2020 Report, published today (20 August), calls for an increase in beef output from 166,000 tonnes in 2013 to 185,000 tonnes by 2020, and an increase in beef cow numbers and productivity to meet the increased production target.
The report was put together by a Scottish Government-sponsored working group tasked with revitalising Scotland’s beef sector.
Outlining a 23-point action plan to develop the sector, Beef 2020 group chairman Jim McLaren said “a far greater degree of collaboration is required” within the supply chain to allow the processing sector to confidently develop and expand into new markets.
The 35-page paper warned that producers were often reluctant to expand production for fear that any increase in supply would adversely affect prices, while the processing sector was often reluctant to develop new demand or markets through fear of increasing the cost of the product they supply.
The report called for a change in the mindset of the industry, saying there needed to be an improvement in awareness of Scottish beef both within Scotland and internationally.
The industry needed to develop an integrated and accessible database containing livestock traceability data, the report added. The working group also called for an improvement in livestock management, which would boost herd efficiency and productivity, and reduce waste and disease.
More access for new entrants should also be considered by the Scottish government, it said, with an improvement in tertiary education to help develop the necessary skills to expand the industry, and better access to finance through the Scottish Rural Development Programme a key requirement.
“The recommendations set out in the report aim to facilitate collaboration, profitability, confidence and investment at every stage of the Scottish red meat supply chain,” said McLaren, who is also the chairman of Quality Meat Scotland.
“Scotland’s beef industry is characterised by opportunity and the group and I are under no doubt that a strong home market coupled with the growing global demand for red meat and premium products points to future success.”
“Beef production is the powerhouse of Scottish agriculture,” said Scottish rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead. ”It is our single biggest farming sector and makes up more than a quarter of Scottish agricultural output.
“That is why it is so essential that government, industry organisations and beef producers work together to overcome the challenges the sector is facing – which include declining livestock numbers and low profitability – to make the most of markets opening up for our world-class beef.”
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