QMS launches hub to support Scottish beef production

Red meat levy body Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has launched an online support hub for Scottish beef farmers to help boost production.

The initiative, in partnership with the Scottish Red Meat Resilience Group (SRMRG), aims to raise awareness of the growth opportunity in the beef sector, build confidence and provide practical support for farmers to grow their cattle numbers.

The support hub can be accessed through the QMS website, where content will be launched in phases over the coming months.

See also: Two more cows a herd a year could plug beef supply gap

As well as case studies, the hub includes a roadmap which focuses on three key themes (productivity, profitability and growth), each with three areas of work aimed at developing a more productive, profitable, and innovative beef sector.

Boosting cattle numbers

QMS recently highlighted the UK collectively needs to produce an additional 278,000t of beef by 2030 compared to projected production levels, to meet growing domestic demand without increasing imports.

Scotland’s share of this is around an additional 22,000t – the equivalent of 79,000 more breeding cows.

Achieving this, QMS said, could generate £281m in output and £76m in gross value added for Scotland’s economy.

Kate Rowell, chairwoman of QMS, said: “For 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.”

Building resilience

A collective intention to increase cattle numbers by a small amount, Ms Rowell said, could help grow the national herd and build resilience – without changing the fundamentals of how farms operate.

“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, which could risk taking a large proportion of cattle out of spec.

“That’s why a modest increase in herd size, combined with smarter productivity strategies, offers a more balanced and realistic path forward.

“By acting now and working together, we have a real opportunity to boost Scotland’s beef production, enhance our rural economy, and meet the needs of our growing population.”