SIR, – Finally, the truth’s come out, it always does, top marks and a beef industry medal should be going Jim Walker's column last week. 'Them's fighting words' and we’ve all been saying it around ring sides, but nobody has dared say it publicly.

A favourite film of mine 'Chisum', is about a great American cattle baron who has a bone to pick with an incoming businessman named Murphy. Coincidently, Chisum or correctly Chisolm, is a great historic Scottish name. Murphy is not a Scottish name. There are similarities, can you guess?

Mr Murphy takes control of water supplies in an attempt to control the territory. Mr Chisum has other ideas and wants a fair playing field and is happy to share his water with all his smaller neighbours. Getting the point of this film?

Mr Murphy still wants to control everything and rake in the dollar by upping the prices. The film ends with a big stramash and Mr Murphy meets a sticky end with a horn through his middle at the hands of Chisum.

There’s a great scene when about 2000 Corriente and Longhorn steers are driven through town – no concerns for animal welfare in Hollywood!

The cattleman, Chisum wants a fair playing field for all. A man with honesty and integrity, willing to stand up for what’s right. Our beef industry needs a few Chisums, we have been getting seen off by processors and retailers for years.

What do we do? As Jim said, switch off the tap.

Shop around and find the best paying outlet. Send them to England if it pays better than here. A wee hint here, go on the internet. Find who pays the best, include the live markets as well.

An Angus market seems to be top of the liveweight prices in Scotland, probably because there are still local butchers at the ring side.

When I was younger, all cattle went on the hoof through the ring. Nobody complained about it and all got a fair price on the day. So, tell certain processors to take a rethink (not the words I had in mind) as supplies dry up you can buy them through the ring, where there might be a degree of competition.

After all that’s what happens in the sheep trade. Where the big retailers buy them reluctantly under a pseudonym. They deny it, but they do!

I kind of knew this was coming. At the 2018 Highland Show, a major Scottish processor let it slip beef prices would not be rising! Here my alarm bells started to ring.

So, based on Jim’s information and that slip up from a processor in 2018, I call on the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate beef pricing in Scotland and the UK.

Jim, well done, thank you, finally somebody has been brave enough to say it publicly. It’s a stitch up!

The Disgruntled Drover