QMS
The Scottish meat industry has welcomed increased numbers of farmers joining Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) Quality Assurance scheme.
QMS reported more than 160 applications from new members have been received since the beginning of the year.
Jim McLaren, Chairman of QMS, said the response to the campaign to drive up membership had been very encouraging and he emphasised the importance of everyone in the industry continuing to work together to reduce the number of businesses which don’t yet benefit from quality assurance.
“Whether you are a farmer, haulier, feed company, auction market operator or a processor, it is vital to the future of these businesses and our industry that everyone is united in support of our whole chain quality assurance,” said McLaren.
As part of the campaign processors and auctioneers encouraging non-assured farmers to become members of the scheme.
The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) welcomed the news also welcomed the news.
“Today’s announcement by QMS that 160 new members have applied to join its quality assurance scheme is excellent news for the whole industry, potentially cutting a serious point of “wastage” concerning Scotland’s livestock production,” said Ian Anderson, Executive Manager of the SAMW
“Some SAMW member companies have been writing to any farmers who deliver stock for slaughter without the necessary assurance backing, pointing out how much they are losing in income. These are often good quality animals, finished in Scotland but unable to be sold under any of the quality assured Scotch brands. Members have pointed out that the lack of the necessary assurance is a complete waste of precious resources and it is good that the message appears to be getting through.”
Meanwhile QMS have reviweed the membership fees for the scheme, resulting in farms with smaller numbers of animals have been reduced and the fees for farms with large numbers of cattle and sheep have increased slightly to offset this.
British red meat bodies are stepping up efforts to promote Welsh and Scottish red meat overseas.
Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) – red meat promotion Wales, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Eblex have all reported internationl promotional activity.
HCC reported three visits from European meat buyers have been arranged in recent weeks, and HCC also has high hopes of forming relationships at exhibitions TuttoFood in Italy and HOFEX in Hong Kong in the coming weeks.
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Two inward visits involved wholesalers and a supermarket buying group from the Netherlands. The wholesalers visited a major processing plant for a site tour, which included viewings of the lamb line, while the second Dutch visit was focused on Welsh Beef.
Laura Pickup, HCC market development manager, commented: “The inward missions were very successful and the representatives were in awe of the Welsh landscape and efficiency of the processing plants. They were also very impressed with the taste and tenderness of the meat.
“This was evident amongst the wholesalers, which included representatives from a premium cash and carry outlet, as they have since decided to replace their current supplies of lamb with Welsh Lamb.”
Meanwhile, Scottish meat body QMS and Eblex will also be showcasing at the Hofex trade show in Hong Kong, in a bid to increase exports.
Hofex is the region’s leading food and hospitality trade show – attracts around 2,400 international exhibitors and 40,000 buyers from the region and runs from May 6 to May 9.
“While the volume of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb currently being sold to customers in Hong Kong is relatively small we can see real opportunities for growth there,” said Laurent Vernet, QMS’s Head of Marketing.
“Our particular focus at the moment is developing our customer-base in the food service and deli-retailer sectors and longer-term we are confident that Hong Kong will be key to gaining wider access to other potentially lucrative markets in south-east Asia,” said Vernot.
UK beef prices are coming under pressure from a range of factors, experts in Scotland have claimed.
According to Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), a number of issues, including currency exchange rates, were impacting on the beef sector, with the strong sterling increasing the gap between Irish and European prices.
Stuart Ashworth, head of economic services with QMS, said: “Despite Irish producers getting 6% more euros from the market than last year, the UK price is 13.5% higher in euros, so the gap has widened. However, because of currency movements, while the UK price is around 2-3% lower in sterling, Irish prices have fallen by 7-8%.”
Latest statistics from January show UK beef exports declining, while imports, including Irish meat, increased, boosting beef volumes on the UK market.
“While some of this would have been used to refill the supply chain after good Christmas trade, once the supply chain was fully restocked, pressure was exerted on prices from a well-supplied market,” Ashworth said.
While prices started the year looking positive, prime cattle values have fallen in the past six weeks, with the average price around 2-3% lower than a year ago, and the number of cattle being slaughtered tightening.
He added: “During February, Scottish abattoirs handled 3.8% fewer prime cattle than last year, compared with Northern Ireland at 2.5% fewer and England and Wales at 2% more.
“However, a bigger influence here is that carcase weights continue to be higher than last year, by around 1.5%. The result is that, despite the number of animals beginning to tighten, the volume of beef they produce is continuing to run ahead of last year.”
Another problem for the sector has been the slowdown in demand for manufacturing beef, which has impacted on the value of forequarter meat in the wholesale markets.
Graeme Sharp, 24, has been appointed Quality Meat Scotland’s new marketing executive.
Sharp, who succeeds Jack Broussine, will be leading the Specially Selected Pork marketing activity, as well as looking after independent retailers, including the successful Scotch Butchers’ Club, and the public procurement sector.
He is an International Management graduate from Heriot Watt University, and joins QMS from the family butcher’s shop in Linlithgow.
Laurent Vernet, head of marketing at QMS, said: “Graeme brings a huge amount of practical knowledge and experience with him from the red meat sector and will undoubtedly strengthen our existing marketing activities in order to promote the high-quality product that Scottish farmers produce.”