By Alec Ross
After calling out the Scottish Government’s Bute House Agreement between the SNP and the Greens at this year’s Highland Show, NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy has again expressed the industry’s concerns after First Minister Humza Yousaf doubled down on the agreement following criticism from senior SNP figures including Fergus Ewing and Kate Forbes.
Speaking on Good Morning Scotland, Mr Kennedy reiterated that while the farming industry wants to be as green as possible, more is achievable when farming is profitable, and that if it isn’t production is scaled down, leading to more imports from countries that do not adhere to the same rigorous principles that food producers in Scotland choose to follow.
“Businesses need to be profitable if we are to deliver the greening agenda that we all want to see happen”, he said.
Round-up
Prime heifer prices at Carlisle yesterday rose sharply to an average of 295p/kg, up by 31p on the week, and sold to a peak of 356p/kg.
Bullocks also rose, by 24p, to average 250p/kg and sell to 307p/kg.
Young beef bulls were largely slaughtered unchanged at an average of 252p/kg and sold to 304p/kg, with dairy types up 4p to an average of 204p/kg.
Cast beef cows met strong demand, up 22p on the week to average 196p/kg.
In the sheep section, prime lambs dropped slightly to average 274p/kg and sold to a peak of £180/head.
Likewise, Lowland ewes fell slightly to average &108/head and sold to £170 for a Texel, while hill ewes fell by a similar margin to average £85/head and sold to £137 for a Swaledale.
A large offering of 2,820 prime lambs was forwarded at Ayr yesterday with all types still selling well.
Top Price per head was £152 for a strong Beltex from West Carngillan while top price per kilo was 316p for a pen of Beltexes from Lyonston. The sale averaged 262p/kg or £144/head.
All classes of cast sheep continue to sell at satisfactory rates for the time of year, with a top price of £190 for a Texel ewe sold on behalf of D Logan, Mauchline Road, Ochiltree.
Texel cross ewes peaked at £170 for Blairbowie, while Mule ewes sold to £128 from Scalpsie, Bute while Blackfaces levelled out at £86 for a pen from W Young, Castle Mains.
Tups peaked at £172 for a Texel sold by W Young, Skerrington Mains.
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