Sheep and Beef Cattle Producers Invited to ‘Rising to the Challenges’ Conference

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is hosting a free ‘Rising to the Challenges’ conference for sheep and beef farmers at Airth Castle Hotel near Falkirk on May 17th.   Scottish sheep and beef producers are invited to attend the event which will focus on rising to the challenges faced by the red meat industry as well as the opportunities which lie ahead.   The one-day event will consider the current challenges that beef and sheep farmers face due to market volatility and reduced support payments, and explore ways that producers can offset the impact of these challenges including the potential to further improve efficiency.   The morning of the conference programme will include speakers from across the supply chain who will outline the current challenges in the market place and explain the factors that affect them, as well as the opportunities which lie ahead.   Among the speakers will be Laurent Vernet, Head of Marketing at QMS who will highlight the current changes in the retail and consumer markets. He will be joined by representatives from the processing and financial sectors, who will give an overview of the current market situation from their perspective.   The speakers in the afternoon will highlight some practical steps farmers can take to try and maximise their productivity and ultimately their profitability in response to the current challenges.   Soil specialist Steve Townsend from Soil First Farming and Charlie Morgan from Grassmaster will highlight how farmers can best manage their soil and grass for optimum production. They will be joined by Donald Brown from SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College, who will discuss targeted nutritional strategies to help different cattle types meet market specification and Dewi Jones from Innovis will highlight potential strategies for improving sheep margins.   “This is undoubtedly a challenging time for beef and sheep farmers,” said Douglas Bell, QMS Head of Industry Development.   “This event will provide key market insight and highlight some management strategies aimed at further improving efficiency and business returns.   “Spaces for the conference are limited and those interested in attending should register early to avoid disappointment.”   The QMS ‘Rising to the Challenges’ conference is free to attend (lunch is included). To register for the event email info@qmscotland.co.uk or call 0131 472 4040.