Latest Press Releases

A Perth-based father and son team are set to represent Scotland at the Four Nations Butchers tournament in Ireland this weekend (28 January). The highly competitive battle will see the pair prepare, craft and present a range of 40-50 products and create a retail...

Over the festive period and into the first fortnight of 2024 the beef market has remained relatively stable, according to the latest market commentary from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). R4L steer prices have generally been slightly above the £5/kg threshold in recent...

Bruce Irvine, the Banff and Buchan Monitor Farmer is welcoming North East farmers to an on-farm event on Wednesday 31 January. The meeting will focus on how small changes, using readily available farm information, can impact positively on late winter management of...

The growing success of Scotch Lamb for St Andrew’s Day owes to a collaborative approach between farmers, representative organisations, and rural businesses.  The lead up to the globally recognised celebration of Scotland’s patron saint last November saw initiatives to...

Adam Christie, Managing Director of Scottish Agronomy I read recently that the word of the year for 2023 was “hallucinate”. While this is a case of new uses for an established word, at times this year it was entirely appropriate as I thought I glimpsed blue sky...

Last week, Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform, and Islands visited John and David Andrew on their South Ayrshire Monitor Farm, to hear about the positive work being achieved on Scottish farms through the Monitor Farm Programme. Ms Gougeon...

An online cattle sale that came about as a way of marketing stock during the covid pandemic is preparing for its fourth annual event. Farmers John and Fiona Scott came up with the way of selling their rams when coronavirus cast its shadow on traditional sales. It was...

In recent weeks, levy payers from Orkney to Lauder have been given the chance to hear how QMS plans to deliver its five-year strategy and make the country the choice for premium red meat. Over a dozen workshops have taken place across the country, bringing together...

Ewe lambs are central to profitable flock health, and sheep farmers should be thinking about them before they are even conceived and put them to the top of the flock hierarchy according to Consultant, Lorna Shaw. Her advice is just one of the many recommendations in a...

Making the switch to a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) has delivered significant benefits for flock health and efficiency at Lochfer Farm, of Inverdunning Farms, in Bridge of Allan. Since joining the farming operation five years ago, Jack Shaw has been making substantial...

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is launching a comprehensive and freely-available pack with latest facts plus shareable stats and videos highlighting the positives about red meat. It will build on the new TV and social media advertising campaign launching this January....

Livestock farmers are invited to a free day of discussions and practical demonstrations to find out what farm management software and technology is right for their farming business. The meeting on 23 January, at United Auctions, Stirling, is being organised by Monitor...

A highly respected journalist whose “wonderful” weekly newspaper columns had the ability to make his readers both laugh and cry will continue to help people even after his death from prostate cancer. Described as “a wonderful writer” and “a philosopher” by former...

A South-West dairy farmer has been trialling different rates of slurry and artificial fertiliser in silage fields to see how he can optimise yields and reduce costs. With input prices remaining high, John Kerr at Woodhead Farm in Ayrshire wanted to see if he could...

Leading animal nutrition specialists and feed mill, East Coast Viners is pleased to welcome trainee ruminant nutritionist Rebecca Bennett as it expands its team. A recent graduate of Harper Adams University, Rebecca brings with her broad practical on-farm experience...

One of London’s most talked about new places to eat has credited the Scotch beef it serves for helping win rave reviews. Michelin-starred chefs and top food critics have been some of the first to book a table at The Devonshire, tucked away in central London behind...

Tickets have gone on sale for an international agricultural conference with Royal roots being hosted in Scotland. The Princess Royal is patron of the 30th Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) Conference, an organisation which was founded in 1957 by...

The start up behind a new AI-based forecasting tool for the soft fruit industry was one of just 13 businesses selected from across the UK to showcase innovation and investment opportunity to the world’s leading financiers. FruitCast, which uses imagery and data to...

With a commitment to classroom and on-farm education, BASF has directly supported more than five thousand children in 2023 by providing resources and attending events, aimed at the next generation. In collaboration with industry partners, the company is passionate...

Beef and lamb farmers are invited to a series of Scottish Meat the Market workshops. Organised by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the events aim to give beef and lamb producers greater industry knowledge about target specifications for finished animals in order to...

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) Levy payers in the Campbeltown area are being given the chance to hear how the organisation plans to deliver its five-year strategy and make the country the choice for premium red meat. The event is part of a series of regional workshops...

LiveScot, the prestigious Scottish National Fatstock Club livestock event held at Lanark showcased the Royal Smithfield Club Beef Ribs & Saddle of Lamb competitions. Entries were judged by Dan Gilmour from Gilmour Butchers and the event was supported by Quality...

Lamb took centre stage at the Scottish Parliament as part of Lamb for St Andrew’s Day, an initiative to encourage people across Scotland to celebrate with Scotch Lamb on the patron saint’s day. Scotch Lamb was served, and sold out, in the canteen for Members of...

A partnership between Simpsons Malt Limited and BASF Agricultural Solutions has been announced, marking the start of a unique carbon reduction and certification programme. Simpsons Malt is one of the largest, independent, family-owned malting companies in the world,...

On Shetland’s islands – 16 of which are inhabited - agriculture is a key component of the community and its economy. The livestock mart at Lerwick, run by Shetland Livestock Marketing Group, regularly fills with sheep and cattle from the island’s crofts and hills....

The Middle East could prove a lucrative new market for Scottish sheep producers, with First Minister Humza Yousaf among the delegates being served Scotch Lamb in Dubai to celebrate St Andrew’s Day. In a special COP 28 dinner organised by Scottish Development...

More than 120 attended the recent Monitor Farm Scotland lamb selection event at United Auctions Huntly, including a sizeable young contingent eager to build on their sheep farming skills. The evening began with breakout sessions from Michael Wilson, Livestock Buying...

Having the time to effectively use the information gathered from weighing cattle can be a challenge for farmers in Scotland, says Lorna MacPherson, consultant at SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), but it can make the difference to profit margins...

Over 10,000 visitors and 240 trade stands filled the exhibition halls at the Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston last week (Wednesday 22 November) for the largest indoor winter farming event, AgriScot. As one of the strongest events yet, and with a record number of...

Preparing for lambing and ensuring it goes well is the focus of the Dumfries Monitor Farm winter meeting. All sheep producers are invited to the afternoon meeting ‘Are EWE ready for lambing?’ which will look at pre-lambing preparation and best practice at lambing for...

More than 100 individuals have now completed the OFC Inspire Programme, supporting their personal and business growth through skills development and networking. The success of the initiative, run by the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC), has resulted in career changes,...

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) predicts that the organisation’s first ever Christmas TV campaign celebrating Scotch meat, will reach almost 90% of Scotland’s adult population when it runs on STV, Border TV and STV Player from today (Monday 20 November).    Scottish...

Farmer’s daughter Clare Dickson had been dreaming of finding a job that combined the rural sector with helping people once she was ready to return to work after having her young family. She says her appointment as Community Engagement Specialist for Farmstrong...

As the countdown to Christmas begins in earnest, there is firm demand for the available supply levels of beef, lamb and pork products in Scotland. Iain Macdonald, Market Intelligence Manager at Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), explains that, in early November, cattle,...

Stepping up and getting involved is very much at the heart of the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) ethos and, following the retirement of the previous Secretariat, a new organisation has joined the ranks. The British Growers Association (BGA), which has all the skills...

BASF launches a new fungicide, Privest®, at British Potato 2023. Designed to control late blight, Privest® has a unique mode of action with ametoctradin combined with potassium phosphonates which primes the plant's natural defence mechanisms. It gives growers...

High school students throughout Scotland are relishing the challenge to get their teeth into their own recipes with the launch of this year’s Better Burger Challenge. Organised by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) in partnership with Food and Drink Federation Scotland, the...

Huntly Development Trust (HDT), an ambitious not-for-profit community organisation, is looking to recruit two people to join their team to deliver the ‘Huntly 2030’ vision for a greener, more inclusive and prosperous town in the heart of northeast Scotland. HDT Chair,...

Vayo®’s first season proves its value with trials, and on-farm experiences, demonstrating unrivalled efficacy throughout the season. BASF brought its renowned active, Revysol® to the fruit sector earlier this year with the new protectant fungicide, Vayo®. It is...

Scotland’s leading independent agronomy advisory service and farmer-owned cooperative, Scottish Agronomy, is pleased to announce the appointment of Zach Reilly. Zach brings experience as a farm consultant, most recently with SAC Consulting’s Forfar office, assessing...

Levy payers are being given the chance to hear how Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) will deliver its five-year strategy and make the country the choice for premium red meat. A series of regional workshops will let members see how a first levy increase in more than a decade...

A wellbeing initiative for Scottish farmers and crofters has taken a big step forward with the appointment of a key team member. Alix Ritchie, a Perthshire farmer and passionate advocate for the rural community, has been named as the inaugural Programme Director for...

Sheep producers in the North and North-East are invited to a lamb selection and butchery demo as part of the Monitor Farm programme. The free meeting will bring together all three North Monitor Farms – Strathspey, Deeside and Buchan. Open to all, the event at Huntly...

As the input balance moves from home grown forages to systems requiring bought-in concentrates over the winter, sheep farmers should take a closer look at the growth of their lambs to protect both margins and next year’s crop, says Kirsten Williams, a senior sheep and...

Last night (Thursday 26th October), the inaugural Scottish Agriculture Awards took place welcoming over 450 people to celebrate some of the most innovative and progressive agricultural business and individuals within the sector. Hosted by three leading organisations...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC), the UK’s leading agricultural, business and food event, has announced three new Directors will join their board. NIAB CEO Professor Mario Caccamo, Farm Estate Manager David Hill, and Food and Drink Consultant and Coordinator Sheena...

Adapting quickly is the key to farms unlocking a successful future, according to the director of a major player in British agriculture. John Barrett, Director of Sentry, says: “The next few years are crucial for British agriculture; there will be winners and losers....

The Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) has released its 2022 throughput figures gathered from its members, who operate auction markets in Scotland. Alan Hutcheon, IAAS President, said: “Markets recorded total throughput of 2.76m head of...

Journalist Sarah Todd is to join the ranks of agrifood and rural sector communications agency Jane Craigie Marketing (JCM), whose clients include BASF, ABP, QMS and the Oxford Farming Conference. Sarah has been an award-winning writer for over 30 years; learning her...

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) honoured three prominent European importers for their unwavering support of the Scottish red meat industry at Anuga 2023. The awards were presented by Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, QMS Chief Executive, Sarah Millar, and Chair,...

ABP Food Group has announced that it has joined the Harper Adams School of Sustainable Food and Farming Delivery Partner Network. The school is at the forefront of the development of sustainable farming methods and also in exploring methods to help British farmers...

ABP’s PRISM 2030 (Programme for the Improvement in Sustainability of (red) Meat) initiative brought beef and lamb farmers and technical experts together, for a grazing and knowledge transfer event on a suckler beef farm in Cheshire, offering a first look at initial...

Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) ‘Tasty Little Weeks’ initiative is back, with schools receiving £180 worth of vouchers to spend with their local Scotch-assured butchers, as well as a bank of resources packed with ideas and tools to inspire children and teachers. In...

As Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) prepares to go to Germany for Anuga - the world’s leading food and beverage trade fair - a new report reveals Scottish exports of red meat and offal rocketed to a new record high of over £93 million in the year from August 2022 to July...

Sheep farmers are invited to the Stirlingshire Monitor Farm next week to hear about managing OPA (Jaagsiekte), the benefits of blood-testing pre-tupping for mineral status and iceberg diseases, plus new business funding opportunities. The evening meeting at the Duncan...

Tickets have gone on sale for the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) and a list of headline speakers has been released, including environmentalist and financier Ben Goldsmith, chef, broadcaster and writer Romy Gill MBE, farmer and musician Andy Cato, and Chair of...

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is aiming to expand global trade opportunities for Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork at the world’s leading food and drink trade fair. A team is heading to Anuga 2023 in Germany next week to champion Scotland’s...

The new President of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers (IAAS) met with Under Secretary of State for Scotland, John Lamont MP, at ANM marts at Thainstone to demonstrate how high frequency EID electronic tagging could revolutionise the livestock industry.  ...

Entries have opened for the 22nd annual AgriScot Silage Competition. The competition which has attracted more than 3000 entries since it began, is the longest running silage competition in Scotland. It is a reflection of the high regard the contest is held in, that...

More than 40 high-level executives from France’s agricultural, agro-industrial and agro-food sectors gained an insight into Scotland’s agricultural and meat processing systems on a visit to a Tayside farm. The chief executives, presidents and others are members of...

The UK’s premier agricultural business event, AgriScot, has announced a new partnership, enabling delegates to benefit from express, free entry. CLAAS Financial Services, the asset finance division of one of the leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery and a...

Over 24,000 school children are signed up to Lamb for St Andrew’s Day, the initiative from the industry that aims to encourage more people to cook, eat and enjoy lamb as part of the Patron Saint’s celebrations.   To inspire the next generation, Scotland’s Institute...

As part of its bid to increase the integrity of its assurance scheme, Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) is moving from an annual scheme to a product certification model. This means that audits can take place throughout the year and grain passports can be issued earlier in...

After a summer of challenging weather for silage making, beef and dairy farmers are looking for alternatives for winter feed to ensure optimal performance. Adding liquid molasses to straw and homegrown cereals will be a cost-effective and productive solution this...

Scotland’s pork industry will be celebrated, in a month-long focus with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) supporting Scottish Craft Butchers’ ‘Porktober’ campaign, to promote the nutritional value of Specially Selected Pork to consumers. The consumer-facing campaign will...

According to the latest market commentary from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), a reduced supply of finished lambs across GB, rising export volumes and lower imports from abroad have been supporting the lamb price in Scotland.  Given indications of a smaller lamb crop...

Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) growers are benefiting from streamlined auditing following the appointment of new certification body, Food Integrity Assurance (FIA).   FIA, which was set up by the cooperative support hub, SAOS, in 2022 to offer devolved, Scotland-centric...

Despite last year’s challenging autumn, Luximo® gave growers more black-grass control in comparison to the market standard and will be a key building block in herbicide programmes for the season ahead. Reviewing Luximo®’s first year in a recent webinar, BASF revealed...

The AgriScot Business Skills, sponsored by NFU Mutual and supported by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), looks to support aspiring young professionals by encouraging them to think about the skills required to manage an agricultural business, whilst also connecting them...

When BASF Agronomy Manager, Colin Mountford-Smith heard about the ryegrass challenge Rob and Peter Barlow were facing, he wanted to help. The father and son team had recently taken on 160ha infested with the weed and while they had made great progress with two years...

Today, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) released an assessment of the vital economic contribution of Scotland’s red meat supply chain to the Scottish economy; the last time a similar assessment was undertaken was in 2016. Red meat production contributed between 36 per cent...

Early pregnancy diagnosis (PD) in cattle has huge potential to improve business efficiency, reduce emissions and maximise profitability, says Robert Ramsay, Agriculture Specialist at SAC Consulting. As part of research work for clients and its Farming for a Better...

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has today announced the results of a restructure to its senior team as it builds its delivery plan for the new five-year strategy launched at the Royal Highland Show in June. The restructure supports the highly-focused strategy, Scotland;...

Award winning convenience store, Pinkie Farm in Musselburgh, has partnered with Scotch Butchers Club member, The Butchery, based in Lockerbie to bring locally born, reared and processed meat to its customers. Built in 2014 on the site of the original farm, Pinkie Farm...

A dry start to the summer followed by a wet July means farmers in the North-East need to take a close look at calf nutrition in the next few months, says Steven Eddie, Ruminant Nutritionist at East Coast Viners.   “With an exceptionally dry start to the summer, grass...

Beef and lamb farmers are invited to a series of Scottish Meat the Market workshops, with the first event focusing on beef.    These events, organised by Quality Meat Scotland, aim to guide beef and lamb producers, offering industry knowledge about target...

A new president has been elected to the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS). Alan Hutcheon, who has over 40 years’ experience in the industry as an auctioneer and in livestock market management, assumes the role from Donald Young at the end of...

A cutting-edge new digital forecasting tool to maximise planning and profitability for soft fruit growers will launch to market in 2024 thanks to £2.8m capital raised from private investors, Ceres Agritech and Innovate UK through its investor partnership programme.  ...

Throughout this year, farmers have battled with the weather. Depending on the location, autumn was either too dry and grass weeds didn’t chit, or too wet to travel. In spring, wet weather dominated the early part of the season, only to turn dry when crops needed a...

Issues caused by cover crops and sheep, weeds and agri-environment schemes were big topics of discussion at the latest Monitor Farm meeting at Castleton Farm in East Lothian. The 164ha arable unit near North Berwick is farmed by Stuart McNicol alongside his father...

A content and communications agency specialising in agriculture and environmental science has this week become B Corp certified in recognition of its commitment to people and the environment.   The Ad Plain (TAP) predominantly works in digital communications for a...

Interest in a landmark sustainability programme for beef and sheep farmers demonstrates the farming industry's determination to reduce farm-originating greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). All 350 places on offer for ABP’s PRISM 2030 (Programme for the Improvement in...

Sustainable parasite control in sheep and cattle, selecting the best type of suckler cow and making the most of grass were key topics at the summer meeting of the Argyllshire Monitor Farm on Islay. One of nine Monitor Farms across Scotland, Craig and Petra Archibald...

Honesty®, the new liquid tuber treatment from BASF is approved for use on all potato crops and provides strong broad spectrum disease control. Luke Pollard (BASF Campaign Manager Speciality Crops) said, “Honesty contains Xemium (fluxapyroxad) an SDHI fungicide which...

After graduating as an accountant, Claire Pollock returned to the family farm to support her family and future development of their business.  The Pollock family always enjoyed farming and plans to keep the business viable led to changes in production methods, aiming...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC), the UK’s leading agricultural, business and food event, is calling for three new individuals to help shape the future of the organisation. OFC is run by a group of voluntary Directors who identify the theme, speakers, sessions and...

According to the latest market commentary from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). In July, the USDA updated its global beef and pork market forecasts, which pointed to slightly tighter market balances in both sectors. However, the domestic beef market is no longer...

Animal nutrition and grain business, East Coast Viners, have become the first company in Scotland to operate a fully automated Tornum grain dryer. The family-run feed milling business which operates from Stonehaven, grows and dries their own grain, as well as sourcing...