Grant funding from Dumfries and Galloway's LEADER programme has been secured by the Galloway Cattle Society to develop a new project to promote it's beef and encourage more farmers to think about stocking the breed.

Titled ‘Defining Galloway Beef’ the project was awarded £35,000 from the Rural Enterprise Local Action Group to deliver a two-year project designed to stimulate market demand for meat from the breed.

The project will include the development and launch of a Quality Assurance and traceability scheme. It will also support young farmers and new entrants learning journey delegations to attend three international cattle events, develop an education toolkit for schools and seek to supply chain partnerships to improve consumer access to Galloway Beef.

The need for the project has arisen from concerns over the way the term ‘Galloway Beef’ is being used across the south of Scotland due to the dual meaning of the term. Galloway Beef could mean beef from cattle reared in Galloway, and it can also mean beef from the breed Galloway Cattle.

This lack of clarity and the potential avenues to address the term was explored within a scoping study commissioned by the Galloway Cattle Society and it is this study and member consultation which identified the need for an easily identifiable Galloway Beef brand.

“We have been aware of the confusion around the term Galloway Beef for a long time and we have spent the last couple of years researching the best way to address it," said John Finlay, chairman of the Galloway Cattle Society.

"We wanted to design a solution that would benefit our members, our supply chain partners and members of the public who want to buy and enjoy Galloway Beef.

“The study we commissioned noted the opportunity to provide clarity for consumers through the introduction of a Quality Assurance scheme, backed up by an easily identifiable brand. That is the project we are now able to proceed with thanks to this funding.

"We are also looking to the future of our breed by organising learning journeys for our younger members to ensure the Galloway has a strong future as a sought after, premium and sustainable breed.”