Farming
By Alec Ross
NFU Scotland has welcomed the findings of the now completed Red Tractor Scheme review.
Union President President Martin Kennedy said: “We believe that the recommendations should be accepted in full and be addressed as a matter of urgency by the Red Tractor Board and leadership team. We specifically welcome the recognition that devolved policy and practice needs to be more explicitly recognised and embedded within the governance structures and this is something we will be pursuing with Red Tractor.
“What has emerged through the review is some significant weaknesses in relation to stakeholder communications and relations and we believe the organisation must now seek to rebuild trust with the farming community across the UK, recognising that one of its original purposes was to add value to the producer.
“In light of this, we believe that the proposed Greener Farm Commitment, as currently devised, needs a complete rethink in partnership with the farming community, fully recognising the policy and regulatory environments across the devolved governments”.
Round-up
Bullocks at St Boswells yesterday averaged 295p/kg and sold to 318p/kg, while heifers averaged 306p/kg and sold to 348p/kg, and cast cows averaged 207p/kg and sold to 300p/kg or £2,067/head. Hoggs fell slightly on the week to an average of 322p/kg and sold to £184/head for Texels and Beltexes, while light ewes averaged £86/head and sold to £147/head for North Country Cheviots.
Store cattle at Dumfries yesterday easily matched recent values, as heifers sold to £1,700/head for Hartbush or to 312p/kg for Meikle Barncleugh, while bullocks sold to £1,640 for Low Glasnick or to 375p/kg for Gatehouse. And OTM cattle easily surpassed recent demand, with bulls selling to £2,723/head or 225p/kg for a Charolais from Dippen and beef cows peaking at £1,904/head or 272p/kg for Hartbush. Dairy cows sold to £,/head for Slacks or to 218p/kg for Park.
Prime heifers at Carlisle yesterday averaged 293p/kg and sold to 331p/kg, a rise of 6p on the week, while bullocks rose by an impressive 27p/kg to average 288p/kg and sold to 326p/kg.
Young bulls also met with a strong trade, rising 11p on the week to an average of 263p/kg, while cast beef and dairy cows also rose on the week to average 193p/kg and 158p/kg respectively. And hoggs rose again to achieve an overall average of 338p/kg and sold to 500p/kg.
A smaller show of well-fleshed hoggets sold easily at Ayr yesterday and peaked at 412p/kg for Lawersbridge or at £183/head for Texels from Aitkenhead, while a Beltex cross ewe topped the cast trade at £160 for Tormitchell Farms, with tups selling to £159 for Beltexes from Muir.
Prime beef-bred heifers at Lanark yesterday rose 4p on the week to average 306p/kg and sold to 348p/kg for a Limousin, while prime beef-bred bullocks rose 3p on the week to average 290p/kg and sold to 308p/kg for a Limousin. Cast beef and dairy cows rose slightly on the week to average 182p/kg and 149p/kg respectively, and prime hoggets did likewise to average 315p/kg and sold to 360p/kg or £213/head. In the rough ring, cast ewes rose £2/head to average £93 and sold to £295 for a Texel.
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