Lots of Green Make Scotland's Beef a Sustainability Win
ANALYSIS - Scotland, being covered in green, green grass, is perfect for grazing - 80 per cent is known as uplander hill country. One of best things you can do with this land is put a ruminant on it and turn it into protein, which makes Scotland a haven for sustainable beef, reports Sarah Mikesell, 5m senior editor.
26 September 2014
1 minute read
Johnny Mackey, Head of Industry Development with Quality Meat Scotland, said the agricultural sector in Scotland is worth £2.1 billion and about a quarter comes from the beef sector, which is the biggest sector.
Scotland is home to 10,000 cattle farms with an average breeding cow herd of 55 cows.
"We also have store production sector, so a large number of herds in the hills and uplands producing calves to sell to low ground farms to finish and some in the middle who do both," he said.
While livestock numbers have dipped in recent years, he sees the market stabilizing at this time.
Mackey also shares highlights of the sheep industry as well.
