The work of levy body Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) continues apace but it is clear there has been a change of emphasis over the last year.
Where previously scientific evaluation, for example on new technology to assess meat eating quality, was part of the mix, the focus is now much more on improving on-farm performance.
Chief executive Uel Morton said this was a very deliberate strategy stemming from a review in 2013.
“We could see the changes that were coming through with the new CAP and that the support payments were going to be much less,” he said.
“At the same time QMS has limited resources so it was a case of looking for whatever would give the industry the best value.”
Levy rates had remained unchanged for five years but there had been good grant income from a number of sources including from the EU over nine consecutive years.
There was, however, around £1 million of levies foregone annually on Scottish stock slaughtered south of the border.
Repatriation of these levies remained a priority but speaking at a press briefing in Edinburgh on Monday Mr Morton warned this was a political process and success would depend on legislative change in England, Wales and Scotland.
“Hopefully the money will come north though,” he said.
“The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (the umbrella body for UK levy boards) has made it plain that it is not standing in the way.”
Mr Morton also expected that new developments such as the new pig abattoir at Brechin and the new Scotbeef Inverurie meat plant at Thainstone would lead to more Scottish bred and reared stock being killed in Scotland and consequently an increase in levy income.
QMS chairman Jim McLaren urged beef producers to focus on the aspects of their business profitability and efficiency which they can control.
“We are greatly affected by things like the CAP, currency exchange rates and even the weather but we can’t control them,” he said.
“The challenge for the industry is to avoid being distracted or undermined by those areas, and instead focus our energy on the aspects of our businesses where improvements can be made.”
The practical implementation of the Beef 2020 proposals, approved recently by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead offers a “major opportunity,” Mr McLaren added.
He chairs the implementation group which will deliver a package of activity including a national livestock database and support for farmers to identify the key actions they are going to take including measures to improve cow fertility, reduce disease, optimise nutrition through feed analysis and maximise grass and soil management.
The cattle database will be backed by the £45m Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) beef support package.
Mr Morton confirmed grant income sourced by the organisation for the year past was £1.25m.
Levy income was £4.1m which was actually up by £14,000 on the year “Our proposed external spend for the 2015/16 year is £5.2m and this compares with an external spend of £5.6m for 2014/15,” he said.
“We have application pending for marketing and industry development grant funding and we are hopeful these will be successful,” he said.