At Beeftech in Aberdeenshire, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), in partnership with the Scottish Red Meat Resilience Group (SRMRG), has launched an inspiring and practical online support hub for Scottish beef farmers. The initiative raises awareness of the significant growth opportunity in the beef sector and aims to build confidence and provide practical support to help secure the future of our red meat supply chain.<\/p>\n
The dedicated webpage on the QMS website<\/a> will continue to be added to over the coming weeks as a go-to resource and one-stop-shop to support farmers in growing their cattle numbers. It offers practical advice from QMS\u2019s business development experts and signposts to useful information from a range of partner organisations.<\/p>\n This launch follows recent, and clear economic<\/a> and consumer evidence<\/a> from QMS, highlighting the benefits and strong appetite for increasing production now \u2013 helping to safeguard the sector\u2019s future and avoid unnecessary reliance on imports. The UK collectively needs to produce an additional 278,000 tonnes of beef by 2030 compared to projected production levels, to meet growing domestic demand without increasing imports. Scotland\u2019s share of this is around an additional 22,000 tonnes \u2013 the equivalent of 79,000 more breeding cows. Achieving this could generate \u00a3281 million in output and \u00a376 million in GVA for Scotland\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n Kate Rowell, Chair of QMS, said: \u201cWith demand for home-grown beef on the rise, and local processing infrastructure well equipped to support, Scotland is well placed to feed our growing nation \u2013 but only if we take action now. Our goal is to increase Scotland\u2019s beef production by adding a couple more cows per herd each year. This small but impactful change can make a big difference \u2013 helping to grow the national herd and ensure we continue to meet demand.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile productivity improvements have a vital role to play, the opportunity ahead cannot be fully met through productivity gains alone. Achieving the necessary uplift through efficiency would mean adding six to eight extra calves on an average herd of 48 cows, or significantly increasing finishing weights \u2013 which could risk taking a large proportion of cattle out of spec. That\u2019s why a modest increase in herd size, combined with smarter productivity strategies, offers a more balanced and realistic path forward.<\/p>\n \u201cAlongside our ongoing work to support the red meat supply chain\u2019s productivity and profitability, this new support programme, which will be rolled out in a digestible format over the new few months, brings together the latest evidence, partner resources, tools and information to support your business.\u201d<\/p>\n The webpage will be updated regularly and will feature inspirational case studies from farmers who are growing their herds. At its heart is a roadmap for resilient, agile and profitable businesses \u2013 developed to boost confidence in herd growth and support improved returns and optimised productivity. <\/p>\n The roadmap focuses on three key themes, each with three areas of work aimed at developing a more productive, profitable, and innovative beef sector. These will be released in phased, digestible formats over the summer, with announcements made on various QMS channels as updates go live.<\/p>\n The first theme \u2013 Productivity \u2013 will launch in June and will help producers build a strong, sustainable foundation for a thriving Scottish cattle sector. Theme two \u2013 Profitability\u2013 and theme three \u2013 Growth \u2013 will follow once the initial phase has been engaged with.<\/p>\n Kate continued: \u201cFor producers, this is about small but meaningful steps. Simply familiarising yourself with the information on our webpage and thinking about how it might apply to your business is a great start. A collective intention to increase cattle numbers by a small amount could help grow the national herd and build resilience \u2013 without changing the fundamentals of how farms operate.<\/p>\n \u201cBy acting now and working together, we have a real opportunity to boost Scotland\u2019s beef production, enhance our rural economy, and meet the needs of our growing population. This is not just an economic opportunity \u2013 it\u2019s about building long-term resilience in our agriculture sector, supporting local farmers, and ensuring our red meat sector continues to thrive for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n