Scotsheep host Ian Campbell of Glenrath Farms used his public platform to appeal to fellow cattle and sheep producers to learn from the poultry industry and give consumers the precise product they wanted.
He backed the Government’s under-subscribed Beef Efficiency Scheme and said beef farmers should get involved so that Quality Meat Scotland could “go out and start selling our story”.
“The Beef Efficiency Scheme, although there are some flaws in the set up, is definitely progressing the right way,” he said.
“Our consumer wants high welfare animals that are free to roam outside, be fed on grass and not be routinely administered with antibiotics. This is the route we have to take if we want to sell our product at a premium.
“Here at Glenrath we produce red meat and eggs, and in the egg world some consumers are prepared to pay £1/ dozen more for a product that looks and tastes the same simply because they want the hens producing those eggs to be kept in a high welfare way and be free to roam outside and enjoy their lives.”
Mr Campbell went on to say that one of biggest issues in farming was that the average age of a Scottish farmer was 58.
“If the Government doesn’t help new young entrants onto the farming ladder of the agricultural industry it’s going to grind to a halt,” he said.
“The Land Reform Bill is not helping, as no landowner is going to give young farmers a tenancy. These same landowners are now sitting pretty and overnight have become the new slipper farmers by following the minimum stocking rules and getting subsidies for doing virtually nothing.”