June 28, 2010

A recent report by Quality Meat Scotland shows that only two thirds of the processing capacity for cattle and about half for pig slaughtering in Scotland are now being used, largely due to the reduced numbers of cattle and pigs now being produced in the country.

"There is no doubt that production incentives are vital to underpin Scotland's reputation as a serious country of quality meat production," said Alan Craig, president of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW).

Brian Simpson, development executive with the Scottish Beef Cattle Association, fully supported the case made by SAMW for government intervention to halt the serious decline in cow numbers.

"Scotland's beef producers rely on processors to kill, cut and pack our beef efficiently and to market the Scotch label to maximise the advantage for all of us," he said. "Beef breeders and finishers will quickly respond when market signals are right – the serious decline in prices offered by abattoirs over the last six months needs to be reversed now if we are to have any hope of halting the decline in cow numbers."

The decline in Scottish and UK breeding cattle numbers seen since the introduction of decoupled Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments five years ago has been around 9%; This despite the reintroduction of mature cattle into the food chain in late 2005.

The consequential loss of throughput in the abattoirs is, according to SAMW, a major threat to the profitability of the Scottish abattoir sector with overheads having to be spread over much-reduced throughputs.

As a significant exporter of red meat, any further decline in livestock numbers will limit the contribution Scotland can make to securing food supplies for a growing UK and European population, SAMW added.