T. 07768 654955 E. scott.walker@scconsultancy.uk
SAMW comment on audit changes announced by the Food Standards Agency:
“There are some worthwhile audit changes in the new system; changes which we’ve been lobbying for over a considerable period of time,” said Executive Manager, Ian Anderson. “The weighting of some sections, for example, based on their food safety significance, is an important advance. It’s still disappointing, however, that it has taken FSA so long to reach this point in their audit reform.
“Further improvements are still needed, of course. As such, the on-going ‘more strategic’ review of longer term audit arrangements is of greater interest to SAMW member companies, particularly in relation to ‘earned audit recognition’ and the need to place plant performance ahead of considerations of size and complexity.
“Many companies already face searching audits from a number of organisations such as the British Retail Consortium, various quality assurance bodies and individual customers. Proper recognition needs to be given by FSA to such audits, allowing the total audit burden on businesses to be reduced, without any risk whatsoever to food safety.
“In addition, the fact that a plant may be large and complex should not influence the auditing process in the form of ‘add-on’ requirements which are not demanded of smaller operations. What is important is that a plant is well run and has a good track record. Scale and complexity is not the issue in this context.”
To access FSA’s latest audit statement click here
The children’s charity, NSPCC Scotland; Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and the cancer care organisation, Maggie’s Centres, have each been given £1750 by the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW).
SAMW members and supporters raised a total of £5250 during a charity auction at the Association’s annual conference and dinner in Glasgow earlier this year, enabling the individual donations to be presented to the chosen organisations.
(l-r) Ian Anderson, Valerie Busher (Maggie’s Centres), Alan McNaughton, Susie Barron (NSPCC Scotland) & George Grierson (CHSS).
“This is a long-standing SAMW tradition and we’re delighted to be able to once again make a contribution to the work of three such important charities,” said Association president, Alan McNaughton.
NSPCC Scotland
Susie Barron, Community Fundraising Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said that £1750 covered the cost of being able to answer over 435 calls to ChildLine, which continues to be a vital part of their work.
“We want to bring an end to the devastating effect that child abuse has on children, their families, communities and society,” she said. “We estimate that over 200,000 children in Scotland have experienced abuse by the time they are 18, yet only 2,500 children are on child protection registers. This means much child abuse is going undetected and unaddressed. We’re very grateful therefore for this very generous gift from SAMW.”
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
George Grierson, Corporate Development Manager, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, commented: “This generous donation will have a real impact on our ability to continue supporting those affected by chest, heart and stroke illness across Scotland and we’re extremely grateful to SAMW for their efforts on our behalf. Stroke is the major cause of disability throughout communities affecting over 100,000 people while almost as many Scots are affected by chronic chest illness and almost 250,000 are living with heart disease.”
Maggie’s Centres
Valerie Busher, Community Development Manager for Scotland, Maggie’s Centres, who accepted the donation on behalf of the charity’s centre in Dundee, commented: “We will be using the money to support the many cancer patients and their families who come into the centre for support during their visits to Ninewells Hospital for treatments. Many thanks to everyone involved in raising this much needed donation.”
Scotland’s meat sector leaders have sought assurance from the Forestry Commission that they will be included in future consultations on tree planting proposals if the land concerned has livestock production value.
The request is contained in a letter to the director of Forestry Commission Scotland, Bob McIntosh, in which it is stated that meat plants are already operating on ‘crisis level’ supplies of cattle and sheep, leaving absolutely no room for blanket tree planting on land which is more suitable for livestock farming.
The letter, signed by Ian Anderson, Executive Manager of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW), points out that cattle and sheep output has been falling for the last eight years in Scotland and is now causing real difficulties for meat companies.
“The impact of this on the viability of the red meat sector can be seen in recent abattoir closures and business restructuring,” writes Mr Anderson, adding that SAMW has been lobbying hard for a CAP reform policy which incentivises livestock production, an aspiration shared across the Scottish Government and the farming and meat sectors in Scotland.
While welcoming the Scottish Government’s latest response to the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group’s report and recommendations on future tree planting in Scotland, including the promise of consultation on contentious schemes, Mr Anderson stresses the need for SAMW to be fully involved in such a debate.
“Association members have become increasingly concerned over the potential impact on future livestock supplies of large scale tree planting,” he writes. “While we therefore support the contribution tree planting can make to carbon reduction, and applaud the Scottish Government’s efforts to make Scotland more sustainable in environmental terms, we oppose blanket planting and stocking reduction, due to poor site selection.”
Turning specifically to the high profile prospect of the Forestry Commission planting trees on Corniehaugh Farm, near Rothiemay, he adds: “With the cattle breeding herd declining by 10% since 2004 and the sheep breeding flock having also declined significantly during this time, we are looking to government to secure the future of the meat and livestock sector in Scotland. Planting trees on a farm which runs 200 suckler cows will do exactly the opposite.
“The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association, National Farmers Union of Scotland, National Sheep Association, National Beef Association and Scottish Beef Cattle Association recently expressed deep concern over Forestry Commission Scotland’s plans. We agree with their views on this issue and would add SAMW’s voice to their call to prevent tree planting at Corniehaugh.
“We have no opposition to additional tree planting programmes for the good of the environment. However, considerable care must be taken to ensure this takes place on suitable land, not livestock farms like Corniehaugh.”
SAMW has urged the Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, to help ‘stop the rot’ of declining livestock numbers, warning that the consequences of a diminishing meat processing sector will become ‘dire’ before long.
The Association also told the Secretary of State that this is the ideal opportunity for the UK and Scottish governments to pursue a ‘common goal’ in securing vital national and regional support for the livestock and meat industry during the current CAP Reform process.
Quoting a previous ‘comment’ from the Secretary of State that Scotland is ‘stronger when the Westminster and Scottish governments act together’, SAMW executive manager Ian Anderson wrote, in a letter to Mr Moore: “The Scottish Government accepts that 10-15% coupled payments for calf production is vital to the future of the Scottish beef sector but, of course, the UK Government leads in the CAP negotiations. This is the ideal opportunity for the UK and Scottish governments to pursue a common goal, therefore.”
Stating that cattle supplies have become ‘very much tighter’ in the last 12 months, on top of a five-year period of ‘fundamental decline’, Mr Anderson continued: “Alarmingly, cattle slaughterings in Scottish abattoirs in the first five months of this year decreased by 9% over the corresponding period in 2011. The rot must be stopped now or the consequences of a diminishing meat processing sector for the rural communities, the economy and employment will be dire before long.
“We acknowledge that pre-2003 (the time of the previous CAP reform), over production was excessive and the surplus meat which resulted in Europe was not acceptable. We would not advocate measures to replicate that. However, the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction.”
With the current CAP Reform process now reaching an advanced stage, Mr Anderson added: “We need the policy framework to deliver rules which reward the right things. You will be aware that the one coupled payment scheme which has operated since the last CAP reform is the Scottish Beef Calf Scheme. This accounts for around 4.5% of the national envelope, a modest amount, but without it the number of cows shown above would have been even worse. Targeted support continues to have a valuable role in the future CAP and re-supplying the processing industry in Scotland, but it must be 15% or more, not 4.5%.
“It is ironic, that we have quality Scotch products which are in demand across the globe, favourable sterling exchange rates and increasing access through new export certificates but not the livestock raw material to supply these markets. This is the ideal opportunity for the UK and Scottish governments to pursue a common goal and SAMW would be very grateful for your support by making the case to your UK Government colleagues.”
The Scottish Government’s commitment to establish a stand-alone meat inspection service for Scotland on the basis recommended by the Scudamore Review is a progressive and far-reaching move which will benefit the country’s whole meat chain, from producers to consumers.
This is the view expressed by Alan McNaughton, president of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) whose members sparked the original campaign to persuade the Scottish Government to explore the potential for a separate solution to meat inspection and food standards in Scotland.
“To now be embarking on a new cooperative and collaborative approach to meat inspection in Scotland is a refreshing prospect for SAMW’s member companies,” said Mr McNaughton. “It’s well documented that many meat businesses had grown tired of the lack of appreciation, knowledge and understanding of our industry as exhibited by the meat inspection approach we’ve been operating under the UK agency in recent years. That service had become excessive in its bureaucracy, far too costly in administrative terms and generally paying not much more than lip-service to the idea of partnership working. The current body has also been too ready to hide behind the role of ‘Regulator’ and ‘EU legislation’, rather than work with industry to deliver a more cost effective service.
“The new structure, as outlined by the Scottish Government, is very much a new dawn for our industry, offering everyone involved the chance to start again with fresh ambitions, fresh attitudes and a vision for continued development. We have a superb product to offer consumers, we’re 100% committed to product health and safety as the top priority of the new service and we’re all totally committed to working together to achieve the very best for Scotland’s meat industry.
“It’s particularly encouraging that this fresh start for meat inspection has been achieved by all the country’s food and farming organisations working together to achieve a common goal. As a result, today’s Scottish Government commitment opens the door to the delivery of specific solutions and potential benefits to Scottish food production, processing and retailing requirements. While the immediate focus will be on hygiene requirements in relation to meat, however, there would seem to be scope for the new body to embrace all areas of food inspection in due course.
“There’s also no way anyone within our industry is thinking that today’s step will result in the creation of a mere Scottish copy of the previous UK structure. This is our industry’s chance to do something new, to set new standards of cooperative and collaborative food product inspection which commands respect at all levels of production, processing, retailing and consumption. This really is a ground-breaking step which SAMW will embrace whole-heartedly and enthusiastically in the weeks and months of implementation which lie ahead.”
To access the Scottish Government announcement click here
Scotland’s meat industry is operating fully 20% below capacity, a fact which is putting jobs and businesses at risk and leaving significant national income potential untapped says Alan McNaughton, president of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW).
“At present our member businesses are providing direct employment for over 4000 people and generating a national income in excess of £1 billion a year,” he said at the 2012 Royal Highland Show. “With the right incentives for producers, the right backing from the Scottish Government and the right conclusion to CAP reform, our industry could be pumping closer to £1.25 billion into the Scottish economy, boosting jobs and export earnings in the process.
“As an industry, we have the capacity to become a much bigger player in the international meat market than is being achieved today. Unfortunately, lack of cattle, 20% less than we need, and sheep, 30% below requirement, is holding us back and damaging our ability to deliver a much-needed boost to the Scottish economy.
“We hear an awful lot about Scotland’s energy potential and see vast sums of money being invested in an attempt to secure benefits in 2020, 2030 and beyond. At the same time, we hear far too little about the here and now realities of Scotland’s beef and lamb outputs. By all means invest in the energy future of Scotland but don’t overlook what we already have, and have had, for as long as any of us can remember, namely a world-renowned reputation for quality meat which buyers everywhere are eager to obtain, provided we can deliver.
“Our plea today is for the Scottish Government to stand tall in London and Brussels and demand an increase in coupled calf scheme support to a minimum 10% of the available national budget. Let me stress the ‘minimum 10%’ a little more. We’ve all talked long and hard about getting to 10% support as a wonderful and triumphant goal when, in reality, it’s the minimum we need to keep our combined £1 billion industry and 4000 jobs intact.
“This is the message we will shortly be pressing UK Government Ministers to address with increasing urgency. It is vital that we secure Scotland’s needs in the forthcoming CAP reform with anything less than 10% likely to leave us with a serious decline in both business structure and jobs.
“Give us a minimum 10% however and a fresh window of opportunity will open for the whole Scottish meat chain.”
A series of films, capturing the key debates and presentations of SAMW’s 2014 conference, are now available for viewing on the News page.
To access each video, click on the following titles, or follow the standard News page format.
Conference overview with President, Alan McNaughton
Susan Beattie – Scottish Development International
T: 07768 654955 E: scott.walker@scconsultancy.uk
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