This week The Scottish Farmer caught up with former NFU Scotland chief executive, Scott Walker, in his new role running the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW).

Mr Walker has worked in the farming sector since graduating from university and was NFU Scotland's longest serving chief executive. In his first interview since leaving the union, here is what the new SAMW chief executive has to say about the issues facing Scotland's red meat sectors.

What are the key challenges facing each of the cattle, sheep and pig sectors?

We could talk about government policy, regulation, climate change, environmental concerns, or the noise about reducing meat consumption. All are challenges faced by the industry, but the number one challenge for farmers and processor alike is profitability.

We all need to make money if we are to keep going and there is simply not enough of it on a consistent basis. For some, profitability seems a dirty word not to be mentioned.

Everyone in the supply chain needs to make money. We can’t keep being asked to do more or to bear the burden of more costly regulation without something giving.

Is the Scottish meat trade getting enough support to build export markets and have new opportunities come from Brexit?

Exports are crucial to optimise carcase balance. Despite the additional cost and complexity involved in accessing the EU market following Brexit, our export sales remain heavily dominated by trade with customers in EU countries.

QMS, Scotland Food and Drink and the Scottish Government all have people promoting Scotland, or working on behalf of our industry in many of our key markets. Sales into non-EU markets is expanding with products going to countries, including Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, and Switzerland.

While we do need support to build new export markets, a major role of Government is to ensure that trade with existing markets, as well as new markets, is as frictionless as possible.

Cattle and sheep get a bad press for damaging the environment – do you believe this is fair?

Livestock production is frequently demonised and that is grossly unfair. Properly managed livestock production systems can help mitigate degraded soils and restore healthy ecosystems, which helps lock carbon deep in the ground. Livestock grazing is crucial for encouraging and maintaining biodiversity.

Does SAMW have a position on replacing the EUROP evaluation grid in the UK?

There is a consensus that we should be looking to move on from the current EUROP grid, but views on what these changes should be are varied.

Ultimately, we need a system that is transparent, trusted by all and rewards on the basis of what the market wants.

Would SAMW back a grading system which rewarded producers for eating quality as well as carcase yield?

It is a highly competitive market and anything that would give Scotland an edge over its competitors needs to be considered.

Scotland is well known for the quality of its beef and if we had a grading system that recognised eating quality that would be to the benefit of processors, producers, and consumers.

Following Government announcements on migrant worker quotas, is it getting any easier to recruit staff to work in abattoirs?

Processors have faced considerable labour shortages in recent years.

The twin challenges of Brexit and Covid resulted in a critical shortage of skilled workers, but the situation today is the best it has been in a long time. Processors have had to work hard to find, recruit and train new staff. Retention of skilled staff is key.

Labour shortages are not today’s issue but everyone in the sector knows the situation can change quickly. The migration advisory committee has, at times, recognised the critical shortage of staff in the industry and has placed positions such as butchers on the shortage occupation list.

But bringing staff in from abroad is not cheap and it is not an easy option. We need the migration advisory committee and the Government to come together to be responsive to the needs of the industry and to be willing to act quickly to allow workers into this country if there is a short-term need from the industry.

Has leaving the EU made the regulatory burden any easier on abattoirs?

The regulatory burden is no less than before and, in fact, when it comes to exporting to the EU, it is now more difficult.

Sending product to the EU used to be the same as sending product to London. That is no longer the case. The paperwork involved makes it now much more difficult and has added extra cost.

What has been some of the key wins achieved by SAMW in the past?

Although I am new to SAMW, it is an organisation that I know well and for which I have always had much respect.

During Covid, the association did a remarkable job working with government to ensure working restrictions were implemented in such a way that the meat processing sector, and therefore the entire meat chain, could continue to operate.

SAMW has also successfully worked with Food Standards Scotland to ensure regulatory inspection charges are minimised and that the service provided meets the needs of all the plants operating in Scotland. I look froward to continuing the excellent work of SAMW and ensuring that the Scottish processing sector is heard.