TOUTED AS a ready-to-go blueprint for sustainable suckler beef production in Scotland, the Suckler Beef Climate Group's report is a weighty document, heavy on detail and evidence gathered from actual suckler beef units.

This thorough airing of the industry-accepted facts around extensive beef production and carbon emissions hopes to become the factual foundation for a new support scheme from the Scottish Government that will, at a stroke, improve the efficiency of the sector, reduce its carbon footprint and reward farmers financially for following its requirements.

Its lead author, Jim Walker, insists that Scotland now has a unique opportunity to show the world that modern food production can operate hand in hand with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and is enthusiastically promoting the report's recommendations as a roadmap the government can now follow to help fight against global warming and preserve biodiversity, while improving the country's economic activity, employment and food security. (See our front page story for Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing's reaction)

Commenting, NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick said: “The SBCS report has clearly recognised the necessity to marry climate change aspirations with viability of Scottish agricultural businesses.

“Emissions reductions, across all sectors of Scottish agriculture, can and should be viewed as an opportunity rather than being seen as an extra cost to the business.

“NFU Scotland welcomes the proposed structure of the SBCS, with its foundations of carbon audits, herd management, soil health and nutrient and grassland management, as well as support for management and capital to enhance business performance while reducing emissions," said Mr McCornick.

“Crucially, the principles of the SBCS can provide transferable components to other sectors of Scottish agriculture, in the other reviews of arable, uplands and dairy as promised by the Cabinet Sector last year," he noted. "We would encourage the Scottish Government to act with urgency in developing, piloting and delivering these measures for every sector, to enable the whole of Scottish agriculture to play its part in reducing emissions within a more sustainable food supply chain.”

Speaking from the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers, executive manager Martin Morgan said: “This is an extremely detailed report which needs to be addressed thoroughly by government and the whole industry. As an initial reaction, however, SAMW welcomes the publication and totally supports the commitment to improving the efficiency and profitability of the sucker beef herd in Scotland, with added environmental benefits being achieved through a lower carbon footprint.

"This is a course of action which SAMW has championed for many years," added Mr Morgan. "The grass-based and extensive nature of Scotland’s beef industry is an undoubted strength of our national brand and anything which serves to enhance these qualities, deserves the close attention of the Scottish Government and the industry itself. We look forward to being involved in the further detailed and careful consideration of the report’s recommendations, which we hope will proceed as a matter of some urgency.”

Proposed timetable –

  • 2021: Farm audits encouraged (and maybe funded) to get ready for the full roll out of the scheme's proposals;
  • 2021: Pilot schemes introduced;
  • 2021/2022: Roll out of scheme proposals;
  • 2022/2023: Majority of the new scheme up and running.