Last Wednesday (2 March 2022), incoming Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) Chief Executive Sarah Millar joined Chairperson Kate Rowell and Health and Education Manager Alix Ritchie alongside 5000 exhibitors and spectators for the first major event in the Scottish farming calendar, The Royal Northern Spring Show.

The event, organised by The Royal Northern Agricultural Society in conjunction with Aberdeen and Northern Marts Group (ANM Group) at Thainstone Agricultural Centre was a prime opportunity for members of Scotland’s red meat levy body to engage with the farming community at the first major agricultural event in the country since pre-Covid.

The combination of livestock competitions, trade stands and young farmers exhibits presented Sarah Millar, who assumes her new role in April, the ideal environment to initiate one of her key objectives as new leader of the organisation:

“Following the restrictions Covid has placed on all of us which meant we weren’t out and about as much, it’s now more important than ever to reconnect QMS with the red meat and farming community and hear first-hand the challenges and needs of our farmers and processors, and supply chain members.

“The red meat supply chain is currently facing an unprecedented level of external pressures, from inflation and supply chain disruption to labour availability and trade. This makes it more important than ever to support our levy payers to drive the industry forward, as we continue to help our Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork producers to produce the highest quality red meat profitably, while working with nature, reducing emissions and developing our rural economy.”

The Spring Show also provided the health and education team with the chance to deliver some valuable in-person education sessions to local primary school children. Explaining what it achieved, Alix Richie said:

“It is so important that children learn about the farm to fork journey of red meat in Scotland in a way that also accounts for the animal welfare, sustainability, and health credentials of the product. It was fantastic to see the younger generation so enthusiastic to learn about the benefits of including red meat as part of a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet.”

The health and education team has been working to develop a range of new resources exploring the red meat food system in Scotland. Find out more at: http://www.qmscotland.co.uk/FarmingFoodsteps