T. 07768 654955 E. scott.walker@scconsultancy.uk
QMS proposal: QMS is asking the industry for an increase in the red meat levy to deliver the priorities outlined in its new five-year strategy. From spring 2024 it is proposed that the red meat levy will increase each and every year for the next five years by the rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Over the coming weeks QMS will finalise its draft business plan and will present this to producer and processor levy payers via a series of levy payer workshops in November and December, as well as one-to-one meetings with processors over the same time period.
SAMW comment: “A properly resourced QMS is important to promote our products, to seek new markets at home and abroad, and to defend our sector’s reputation,” said Scott Walker, Executive Manager for SAMW. “In this context, we are not opposed in principle to a change in the levy rate, but we need to be convinced of the benefit of the activities on which the levy will be spent.
“We look forward to discussing with QMS their new 5-year business plan for implementing their new strategy. Value for money must be evident in everything QMS does. We are not against a new long-term funding mechanism and will consider what is being proposed against what we see in the new 5-year business plan. Levy rates need to be justified and increases should not be taken as a given. Our member companies, for example, have to earn their income increases on a day-to-day/month-to-month basis.
“We want to see clear outputs that benefit the industry from the activities undertaken by QMS and clear timelines for achievement. Regular reporting on the progress made against targets is needed to give us confidence that value is being secured from the levy collected.
“We will be judging the merits of an increase in the levy by the actions proposed in the business plan and will comment more fully once we have seen the details of the business plan.”
HCC & AHDB levy action
In addition to the levy plan advanced by QMS, both HCC and AHDB have already announced their own rate increases.
HCC levy rates increased by 10% in April 2023 and will going forward each and every year from now on in line with the annual inflation rate, as measured by the consumer price index including owner occupiers’ housing costs.
AHDB is proposing a different approach to both QMS and HCC. Instead of following an annual inflation-based system, AHDB is proposing a single uplift in 2024 of 25% for the cattle & sheep levy rates and 20% for the pig levy rate.
Speech by SAMW President, Ian Bentley, delivered to the annual conference in Edinburgh on September 1, 2023.
Cabinet Secretary, ladies, and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to welcome you to this year’s SAMW Conference. A year ago, we were cautiously celebrating the relaunch of our Conference after the years of the pandemic, while at the same time feeling the uncertainty of a world changed by an outbreak of war and strong economic head winds. Some of those uncertainties turned into reality and we are still dealing with them, but the impact of others, for example energy costs, have alleviated slightly.
Ian Bentley
As is right at our conferences, we aim to look forward rather than back, and I believe our invited speakers will help to illustrate for us what the future may look like and what we in the industry need to do to ensure it materialises. As always, there is much for us to do, but my main message is that Scotland’s meat industry needs help. We need help to reverse the long-term decline in livestock production in Scotland, a decline which, if it continues, will ultimately call into question the viability of our industry.
We know that at times over the years producers have been critical of farmgate prices, and this was often cited as the reason behind falling numbers. But returns over the past couple of years have improved considerably, yet we have not seen the stimulus to production which we might expect. Instead, the slow downward trend is continuing. I believe this is because we are not seeing the development of a clear, unequivocal policy of support and promotion for Scotland as a key producer of quality meat on the domestic and world stage, a policy which is actively encouraging and incentivising quality livestock production using sustainable practices. The absence of this clear policy harms confidence and contributes to the decline in numbers.
We welcome the boldness of Quality Meat Scotland’s 5-year strategy, but it needs to be underpinned by Government policies which are aligned and designed to make that vision happen.
Intent listeners to SAMW President’s speech: Kate Rowell, Chair, QMS, (left) and Mairi Gougeon, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs.
Scotland is one of the best places in the world to raise livestock for high quality meat in a sustainable way. We have water, we have grass, we have a temperate climate. We have very high standards of animal welfare and regulatory oversight. Despite the regular bashing which meat gets, consumers in many countries are proving to be very loyal to an omnivorous diet, and we know that as prosperity grows in emerging countries, their populations want to, and will, increase their consumption of meat products. Scotland should be gearing up to meet this increasing demand by introducing policies which support increased sustainable production.
But we are not alone. Other nations have recognised these global trends and are responding to them with coordinated activities which are designed to demonstrate the positive attributes of their production. Scotland needs to be joining, and winning, that race.
There is much for us to do as an industry. Carbon is a good place to start – there are great examples in our industry of advances in moving towards net zero. I suspect, however, that we are not doing enough to raise awareness of our progress so that we are not an easy target for those who delight in campaigning against meat production because of emissions. Emissions are not a reason to abandon or even reduce production in Scotland. Instead, emissions should be the subject of funded research and rational investigation to find the best way of minimising them, while also recognising the positive sustainable credentials of extensive production on grass. The easy answer – to reduce livestock numbers in Scotland – will simply encourage production in other countries which could be much more harmful to the environment.
An appreciate conference audience
Human health is another area for our industry to get its act together, but with strong sustained support by policies. We are starting to see a more sober and balanced attitude to meat eating emerging from opinion formers but there is more to be done. This year’s big target seems to be ultra processed foods and their detrimental impact on our health. So, other than a raw carrot, I ask you – what could be a less processed food than a steak, a chop, or a roasting joint? Meat substitute product ingredients lists read like a chemistry set. The ingredients list for a piece of meat, in contrast, is relatively short to the tune of one. But I don’t hear the pundits recognising the simple fact that meat is a natural unprocessed food with lots of essential health-giving attributes. We need to do more to get these messages across. We are not helped, however, when official bodies start taking pot shots – please help us to ensure a rational and sober presentation of the facts.
We have an industry of which Scotland can be proud and is indeed recognised worldwide as a source of excellence. I was in a supermarket in France recently which was proudly promoting its beef as Aberdeen Angus – an industry which should be seen as an opportunity for Scotland to advertise itself as a high-quality food producer – but an industry where its raw material continues to reduce year after year.
As Joni Mitchell said about Paradise and parking lots – “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”. I urge everyone who cares about our industry, and even those who don’t, to see the opportunity and the threat, and to make sure that as new policy details emerge, they are aimed clearly and unequivocally at enabling this industry to grow.
SAMW has written to Mark Spencer, Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries; Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands; Geoff Ogle, FSS Chief Executive; and Emily Miles, FSA Chief Executive, to protest strongly that the labelling of certain plant-based products is likely to mislead consumers and harm the Association’s meat processor members who label their meat-based products honestly and straightforwardly.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Minister
As President of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW), I would like to draw your attention to the food products shown on this website https://this.co/products/
These products are marketed by THIS and are sold widely in supermarkets across the UK. They are vegetable-based meat substitute products which are labelled variously “THIS isn’t Lamb”, ” THIS isn’t Bacon” etc. Beneath the most prominent label is a smaller description stating that they are 100% plant based. Despite the “This isn’t” label titles, the products are made to closely resemble meat products, e.g., lamb kebabs, bacon rashers etc.
We believe these products are intended to mislead customers into thinking they are actual meat products. In each case the font size of the meat word, “Lamb”, “Bacon” etc, is larger than the word “isn’t” or the words indicating that it is a plant-based product. The ordinary consumer will read the meat word, see the product which resembles the meat equivalent and quickly conclude that this is a genuine meat product, potentially dishonestly stealing purchases from the genuine meat-based product.
As there is no meat in the products, we fail to see how they can legitimately have the meat name in the product title. Our understanding is that a product title should describe what it IS, rather than what it isn’t, otherwise some very odd situations could arise, not to mention misleading ones such as these.
To be clear, we have no problem with vegetable-based products which are labelled clearly with an accurate description of what they are. However, we protest strongly that the labelling of these products is likely to mislead consumers and harm our meat processor members who label their meat-based products honestly and straightforwardly. I would ask you respectfully to consider these points and to take appropriate action to ensure that all food products are being accurately and honestly described.
Yours sincerely
Ian Bentley
SAMW President
The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Walker as its new Executive Manager.
Mr Walker, who was previously the chief executive of NFU Scotland, takes on the role formerly held by Martin Morgan who sadly passed away in January this year.
Scott Walker
“Scott joins a long list of excellent executive managers who have served SAMW over the years with Martin’s five years with the Association, in particular, marking a strong period of leadership for Scotland’s red meat industry,” said SAMW president, Ian Bentley.
“Having a person, in Scott, of such experience to now lead us forward is a boost for our members, especially following the untimely ending of Martin’s time with us. We look forward to working with our new executive manager as we seek together to keep driving our industry forward.”
Having spent the last 11 years as CEO of NFUS, Mr Walker has a deep knowledge of Scottish food and farming and a thorough understanding of the red meat sector’s many challenges and opportunities.
“Advocacy on behalf of the industry has been a major part of my career over the last decade and I look forward to fulfilling a similar role on behalf of the red meat sector,” said Mr Walker. “I’m well used to working with politicians and officials in Scotland, Westminster and on the international scene, and will be seeking to do the same for SAMW, on behalf of what is a hugely important industry for Scotland’s economy.
“We should all be proud of the quality of red meat produced in Scotland for sale both domestically and across many export markets. There is a strong story to be told and much progress to be made in the months and years ahead.”
Mr Walker will take up his new office on April 24, 2023.
“As an Association we deplore any fraudulent practices in our industry,” said SAMW President, Ian Bentley. “Events like these (NFCU investigation) bring the industry into disrepute and disadvantage the vast majority of honest operators who are grappling with the financial pressures of doing business today. These instances also undermine our efforts to reduce costly and inefficient regulatory measures in our businesses.”
Five former presidents marked the 30-year anniversary of the birth of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) with a walk down memory lane at the 2023 New Year Lunch in Edinburgh.
The pre-lunch programme opened with a heartfelt and fitting tribute to Martin Morgan, the Association’s Executive Manager for the past five years who sadly died in the days leading up to the NYL. Delivered by close friend and colleague, Ian Anderson, the tribute was welcomed by Association members and industry guests as a special opportunity to acknowledge Martin’s diligent commitment to SAMW and members’ interest throughout his time in office.
Tribute was also paid to Doug Ward, a firm supporter of SAMW over many years and a close friend to many in the Association, who died in early January.
Presidential memories from 1989-2022
Former presidents at NYL 2023: (l-r) Jimmy Robertson, Alan McNaughton, Neil Stoddart, Allan Jess, Alan Craig, and 2023 President, Ian Bentley.
Jimmy Robertson, 1987/89, led the meeting in a look back at SAMW’s earlier days, reflecting on the beginnings of the Meat & Livestock Commission, the loss of local authority meat inspectors “who knew what they were doing” to a centrally controlled system which was “forced on the trade in a desire to be European Citizens”.
Neil Stoddart, 2000/03, took up the story with tails of working visits to Brussels, often with little reward for the industry; the start of Scottish devolution; the birth of Quality Meat Scotland, and the deeply unpleasant task of dealing with the UK’s Foot and Mouth Outbreak in 2001.
Allan Jess, 2006/09 & 2016/17, focused his comments on the vital importance over the years of SAMW’s Executive Managers, Alan Stevenson, Alistair Donaldson, Ian Anderson, and Martin Morgan. He also highlighted the camaraderie which has always existed across the SAMW membership and the commitment of many individuals who have given their time and energy to protect and develop the Scottish red meat industry throughout its history.
Alan Craig, 2009/12, spoke about the emergence of the single farm payment during his presidency and the Association’s anxiety that this would lead to a massive reduction in livestock numbers. He also dealt with the development of the Sheep Strategy Council and, as a little light relief, enjoyed revising a few sponsors’ descriptions from annual dinner speeches of the time.
Alan McNaughton, 2016/16 & 2021/22, concluded the memories session, with mention of the formation of Food Standards Scotland; debates surrounding WATOK (animal welfare); concerns of livestock supplies and the need to keep hitting the ‘in-spec’ livestock message to help reduce the number of very-fat/too heavy animals arriving at meat plants most mornings of the week.
The following former presidents were also present at the 2023 NYL:
Alan Kirkwood, 1997/2000
Isla Roebuck, 2003/06
Frank Clark, 2017/19
Andy McGowan, 2019/21
Ian Bentley, 2022 –
Teamwork at NYL 2023: (l-r) Alistair Donaldson, Andy McGowan, Allan Jess, Jimmy Robertson, Alan McNaughton, Isla Roebuck, Frank Clark, Alan Kirkwood, Neil Stoddart, Alan Craig, Ian Bentley, and Ian Anderson
It is with great sadness that we have to announce that Martin Morgan, Executive Manager of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) has died after a prolonged battle against cancer.
Martin Morgan
Martin, who joined the Association in November 2017, will be greatly missed by SAMW’s Executive Committee, with whom he worked closely until a few weeks ago, and all the Association’s members. A former head of livestock policy for the Scottish Government, Martin started at the Scottish Office in 1977, beginning a career which included working on industry-changing meat hygiene legislation in 1992 and the BSE crisis from 1996 onwards. He was also a major part of the Scottish Office team involved in handling the UK’s foot and mouth outbreaks in 2001 & 2007.
“Martin worked tirelessly on behalf of the Association and the whole Scottish red meat sector during his five years as our Executive Manager,” said SAMW President, Ian Bentley. “He was always ready to address any issues which might impact our industry, attend countless Government and business meetings to represent the Scottish red meat sector, and serve the membership in whatever way he could. We will all miss him greatly.”
Ian Anderson, who Martin followed as Executive Manager, added: “Martin was a top rate colleague throughout our time together in the Scottish Office and an SAMW successor who I was delighted to have follow me in this role. In both incarnations, there was little Martin didn’t know about livestock farming and the food industry.
“He was also a great friend and staunch supporter, who brought so many admirable qualities to whatever he did, both as a person and in business.”
SAMW’s Executive team and members express their sadness and deep condolence to Martin’s wife Jacki and his family.
SAMW joins all-industry bodies in agriculture policy demand
The recently-established Food & Agriculture Stakeholders’ Taskforce (FAST) has challenged the Scottish Government to take urgent steps to include the farming industry in the co-design of future agriculture policy.
During a seminar at AgriScot (November 16), FAST representative, Doug Bell, called on Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, to clarify her co-design plans, ahead of the closing of the Agriculture Bill consultation early next month.
Mr Bell, Managing Director of the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association, was speaking on behalf of FAST, an independent group of 19 organisations which represent agriculture and food production in Scotland.
Mr Bell said: “FAST is a dynamic taskforce of people with experience, grass-roots knowledge and an ardent drive to protect and promote Scotland’s agricultural and food production into the future.
“As a collective we want to work constructively with Scottish Government as it sets Scotland’s future agricultural policy. Ministers continue to propose that it is essential that the industry is central to the co-design and co-development process.
“It is now a critical time to get the policy right and we are keen to ensure FAST is part of that co-design process. It is vital to avoid the impact of an Agriculture Bill and secondary legislation which generates unintended consequences for the industry and the country.”
FAST is comprised of senior representatives of Scotland’s key organisations in farming, crofting and primary food production. The group was formed to constructively move forward the dialogue in response to an evident lack of vision, dialogue and detail being seen in the run up to and during the consultation on the new Agriculture Bill, which closes on 5th December.
Mr Bell added: “The members of each of our organisations – from livestock producers to arable growers and crofters – desperately need to understand where policy is going.
“We need to know what Scottish Government plans to do with the powers granted by the consultation, what this will mean at grassroots level and how farmers, crofters and others in the supply chain can work effectively to secure the future of their businesses. FAST is willing and keen to work with Scottish Government to ensure this is clearly defined.”
FAST will be inviting the Cabinet Secretary to meet with the group as soon as possible.
The purpose of this meeting will be to share its insights and vision for the most productive direction for policy that advances food security, food production, the environment and the country’s agricultural supply chain, as well as the industry’s significant contribution to the Scottish economy and rural communities across Scotland.
FAST members:
Food & drink market trade specialists visited Scotland this week to experience what sets Scotland’s red meat apart.
As part of a trade tour to meet food & drink producers and processors organised by Scotland’s trade and inward investment agency, Scottish Development International (SDI), 25 global and domestic trade specialists heard first-hand from key industry contacts to understand what makes products from Scotland different.
Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) supported with visits to an Aberdeenshire beef farm and a processor near Edinburgh.
“Scotch Beef is considered some of the finest beef available anywhere on the planet, and it is hardly surprising that exports are growing annually,” said Roisin Turner, who runs AK Stoddarts’ export business. “On Monday 3rd October, six of SDIs global market specialists attended a special tour of AK Stoddarts in Broxburn. Covering a broad range of markets including Singapore, USA, Japan, France and Italy – the group learnt about the Stoddart’s practices and processes which make it ‘Best In Beef’. Stoddart’s are proud of our export credentials and look forward to working with the SDI team to continue to expand our export markets. Having these contacts in market is vitally important to open new markets. From offering advice on local customs to liaising with Government officials on Import laws – the in-market specialist teams provide an essential service, which without would make it extremely difficult to launch into new markets.”
QMS Director of Market Development, Tom Gibson, said: “There’s no better way to market our product than giving a first-hand experience of what is behind the Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork brands. This was a really valuable opportunity to build relationships and demonstrate the ‘why’ to those who are helping sell our products across the world.”
Aberdeenshire beef farmer, David Barron, who is also vice-chair of the Scottish Beef Association, showcased animal welfare and sustainability on his farm, alongside a presentation from QMS Head of Industry Development, Bruce McConnachie.
At leading Scottish processors AK Stoddart in Broxburn, Sales Manager Brian Chapman and General Manager Brian Steven gave a tour to explain product sourcing and producer groups, processing systems, product selection for customers and an overview of different cuts, customer specifications and dry aging.
QMS’ Mr Gibson followed this with further detail on carcase balance, the Scotch and Specially Selected Pork proposition in international markets and the role of QMS in developing new markets, potential international target markets for Scotch and the importance of exports to the Scottish economy.
Ewen Cameron, Global Head of Trade, Consumer Industries, at SDI, said: “We spent two very inspiring days meeting with companies and partners across Scotland with our trade specialist colleagues, 12 of whom are based overseas. It is so important when you are selling Scotland to have the opportunity to visit and hear first-hand from farmers, fisherman and processors about everything involved in producing high-quality, premium Scottish food and drink.”
Ian Bentley, SAMW President, outlines his vision for the Scottish red meat sector in 2030
Those of us who remember our last Conference and compare it with this one, you must feel a bit like Rip van Winkle. Here we are again, but in a world that has changed hugely while we were away. I don’t need to go through the list of events, any one of which would seem earth shattering on its own, yet we have faced a host of them, one after the other, and all making life more difficult and uncertain.
Ian Bentley
I do not want to dwell on these issues, we hear enough about them every day, but that is not to pretend they are trivial matters – they represent serious threats to our industry in the here and now. Today, I want to look forward with some optimism about the Scottish meat industry, and to sketch out a vision of what things could be like by the end of this decade, if, and it’s a big if, we all think about what is right for the industry as a whole and take the right decisions and actions within the supply chain, and in the seats of regulatory power.
So, bear with me, I have a dream.
Sensible objective analysis
Let’s consider a 2030 where the meat industry is no longer seen as the root of all evil. Why? Because the smoke and mirrors around health will have been cast aside by sensible objective analysis, and the moderate consumption of red meat will be recognised world-wide as an essential part of a healthy diet. I have no quibble with people who follow a particular diet through personal choice. I do have a problem with pressure groups and vested interests who seek to attack our industry with distortions or, as people say now, “alternative facts”. I hope that within a few years those falsehoods will be exposed.
A 2030 world where the truth about levels of net carbon emissions produced by different methods of rearing livestock, are being accurately measured. And by net carbon I do mean net, so that the carbon storage of pasture, hedgerows and trees across our fields are included in the calculations. By then, hopefully we will have a clear picture about good and bad practices, and we will be on the way to promoting the good systems and eradicating the bad, helped by a Government which rewards the good, and supports a Scottish red meat industry for the long term.
By 2030, I would hope to see red meat exports from Scotland going across the world, in recognition of the quality and sustainability of our product, and hopefully by then no longer hobbled by export regulations which seem to do everything possible to discourage trade rather than promote it. Government has a part to play in removing these obstacles. Then trade bodies and our members need to capitalise on the opportunities which will emerge.
Technological and information revolution
In our own markets, I would like to see a recognition of the true costs of meat production, and a reflection of those costs through the supply chain. So, that means dearer meat for the consumer, I hear people say, and that may be so. But, I also think that may be a 20th century state of mind. Today and in the future, our industry needs to embrace the technological and information revolution which is transforming other industries. The use of data analysis for soil, feed and rearing at the producer level; artificial intelligence and robotics for processors, pinpointed distribution at retail levels to reduce wastage.
All these can drive out costs and improve margins without simply passing on higher prices to consumers. We have vets and meat inspectors present in all of our plants, working in ways that are no different from 10, 20, 30 years ago. Will we have the same in 2030? Or will we have harnessed the power of data reporting, remote visual access and AI to create a new model which works better and reduces costs, rather than simply ratcheting up year after year? I would hope we can get to that, but trials need to be formulated now and put in place as soon as possible.
And perhaps this is an example of something else I would like to see by 2030. We all talk about how “the industry needs to work together to solve the problems which face all of us”. How often we say that – I say it myself. How often does it actually happen? When an issue arises, each part of the supply chain is quick to defend its own position, perhaps because of the insecurity which low profitability brings.
Support – fair prices – strategic relationships
Perhaps by the end of the decade we will have a farming sector which feels supported by Government and which has established fair price agreements with processors, processors who are in long term strategic relationships with retail customers, and Government bodies which see their role as supporters, facilitators and, yes, upholders of a vital and growing Scottish industry.
Maybe my picture of the future is very rose tinted, but I do believe if we genuinely work together then much of it may come to pass and these gloomy days can be left behind. I know I and all of our members would wish that to be the case.
T: 07768 654955 E: scott.walker@scconsultancy.uk
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