Thousands of farmers flock to Aberdeenshire farm for BeefTech 25

Press and Journal

5 days ago

Thousands of people flocked to an Aberdeenshire farm for the Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) BeefTech 25 event today.
It showcased some of the latest machinery and technology available to Scottish farmers.
Although primarily aimed at the beef sector, there was plenty to interest sheep and arable farmers too.
With numbers steadily building throughout the day, helped by sunny weather, an estimated 4,000 visitors attended the event at Home Farm, Kininmonth, near Mintlaw.
The Gall family played host to BeefTech 25 and one of them, Joanna, said they were 'proud' to be helping to showcase Aberdeenshire farming to visitors from near and far.
'It was an honour to be asked to host this event,' said Joanna, adding: 'The lovely dry weather we've had lately made the preparations easier.'
Aberdeenshire Provost Judy Whyte called the event a 'great showcase' for north-east agriculture.
More than 19% of Scotland's beef cattle herd is in Aberdeenshire alone.
The area also boasts in excess of 34% of Scotland's total red meat production.
BeefTech 25 featured a broad range of activities to promote the agriculture and the beef industry, continuing a long tradition of specialist events hosted by RNAS over the years.
There were lots of well-kent local faces in attendance.
But Joanna said she'd been pleasantly surprised to also see so many farmers from much further afield.
The day kicked off with a breakfast seminar featuring a banker, vet, sheep farmer and meat processor.
The banker was Stephen Buchan, Virgin Money's head of agriculture for Scotland.
He highlighted some of the financial pressures for farmers just now, and told a packed seminar how good cashflow and performance monitoring were key to securing a loan.
Graeme Fowlie, of Meadow Vets, updated the audience about new treatments coming onto the market to help farmers keep their livestock healthy.
He livened up his slide presentation with video segments and images of Aberdeen FC's historic Scottish Cup win over Celtic.
And he gave everyone a close up of a cow's internal organs via a live camera link into a bucket.
Cammy Wilson is a well-known sheep farmer from Ayrshire. His YouTube channel about life on his farm, The Sheep Game, now boasts more than 400,000 subscribers.
His entertaining seminar presentation focused on opportunities for new entrants to the industry. Luck and good networking are crucial, said Cammy, whose enthusiasm for farming shone through.
And he said his social media activities were helping to keep his farm financially viable.
Prys Morgan is procurement director for meat processor Kepak UK, principal sponsor for BeefTech 25.
Speaking about market opportunities for the UK beef supply chain, Prys said consumer demand for quality produce remains strong.
And global events including the war in Ukraine highlight the importance of food security, he added.
But the industry is facing a major challenge around costs and a long-term decline in the size of Britain's beef cattle herd, he warned.
Prys also described the lack of any legislation committing the UK hospitality industry to tell customers where food comes from as a 'significant flaw'.
The biggest challenge facing Britain's beef sector is to make sure it remains profitable for farmers without the end product becoming too expensive for consumers, he said.
The host farm for BeefTech 25 supplies most of its finished cattle to Kepak's McIntosh Donald abattoir at Portlethen.
McIntosh Donald procurement manager Ewan Hutcheson had previously hailed today's event as a 'great opportunity' to promote the beef industry.
It also helped to highlight those within the supply chain who help sustain the industry through thick and thin, showcasing their commitment, talent and passion, he said.
Other major sponsors at BeefTech 25 included Virgin Money, ANM Group, Denis O Brown, AAB and Harbro.
As well as trade stands and beef industry seminars, there was a popular breed society marquee, as well as barley trial plots and working demonstrations of feeder wagons.
Visitors got to see an autonomous tractor and hi-tech weed sprayer in action.
Meanwhile, a walking tour with one of the Gall family took in some of Home Farm's feeding cattle, cows and calves.
A stock judging and auction raised cash for the local branch of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Home Farm, Kininmonth, has been under Gall ownership for more than 100 years.
Its current custodians finish 1,000 head of cattle a year, many of them from Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.
About 800 Shetland cross lambs are also bought for finishing and lamb is prominent on the menu at Saplinbrae Hotel and Lodges, a 14-bedroom establishment Noel and Joanna Gall acquired in 2015.
The Galls showcasing their suckler cow and cattle finishing system at BeefTech 25.
Their farm stretches to nearly 600 acres, with a further 200 acres rented – half for crops and half for grazing. About 350ac of barley are grown for feeding, with oats, wheat and oilseed rape taking up 120ac, 60ac and 60ac respectively.