WHATEVER happened to the much vaunted Scotch beef premium?

It has all but disappeared and that adds up to a lot of money - more than £100 per head - that finishers north of the Border will be short of.

From what was once a 40p per kg shot in the arm for those who finished cattle in Scotland a few short years ago, we are, if you pardon the pun, heading south in terms of price and just about matching the prices paid for prime cattle in England and Wales. And, if you want any further proof, then you only have to look at how Irish cattle have closed the gap on best Scotch beef.

It should be a priority for everyone involved in the meat trade and that includes government and our marketing strategists at QMS to re-establish that premium. The discerning purchasers in London's Smithfield market and major cities across Continental Europe will still be paying a premium for it - so why aren't the farmers getting it passed down to them?

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