JAMES PARSONS, the leader of New Zealand's sheep and beef farmers, is coming to Scotland next month to deliver a keynote address at a conference focussing on the Scottish lamb supply chain.

Mr Parsons, the chairman of farmer-owned trade body Beef and Lamb New Zealand Ltd, will outline his experiences of the supply chain in NZ – a country which has traditionally been a big competitor of the Scottish red meat sector – at the Lamb Supply Chain Conference being hosted by Farm Stock (Scotland) Ltd at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh on Wednesday October 5.

The stated intention of the event is to strip apart the entire Scottish lamb chain, from farm to plate, and examine how to improve communications and efficiencies along its various links. Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing, is set to give the opening address, his first major speech on the red meat sector since taking office earlier this year.

Conference organiser, Farm Stock chairman Ian Watson said: “As a key link in the red meat supply chain, sourcing prime lambs and beef animals direct from farm, Farm Stock (Scotland) has been involved in various initiatives and projects to try and create greater efficiency in the chain.”

“In a recent project in the Scottish Borders we worked with our farmer members to look at how they might secure better returns by having a greater understanding of the needs of others in the supply chain.We are now rolling this discussion out to a national level and have invited farmers and key stakeholders from across Scotland and the meat industry to attend our conference on October 5.

“A question that often comes to the fore in such discussions, especially as we now look ahead to a post-Brexit marketplace, is how can our farmers better compete with imported meat. I am delighted that James Parsons has accepted our invitation to speak at the conference; what better way to gain a better understanding and knowledge of our competitors than to hear from them – and quiz them – first hand?”

The conference will also hear a farmer’s perspective from Marcus Maxwell, director of the Galloway Lamb marketing group, the processors point of view from Dunbia's head of agriculture and research Jonathan Birnie, and a retailer outlook, from Marks and Spencer's Steve McLean.

“I would encourage any members of our six marketing groups to attend the conference," added Mr Watson, "and would also welcome any of our other farmer customers and those from further afield and from different sections of the chain – from livestock hauliers to butchers and chefs – as I see this as a great opportunity to work out how primary producers can better meet the needs of those further up the chain and how efficiency can be improved throughout the chain to the benefit of all concerned.”