NFU Scotland has called on the Scottish Government to use the Beef Efficiency Scheme (BES) to support beef farming during the current price crisis.

Writing to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy Fergus Ewing, NFUS has called for the principles of BES to be built on and improved; for forthcoming BES meetings on beef breeding to be opened to all beef farmers, not just the 1,400 scheme members; and for carbon audits on beef farms to be fully funded.

Longer-term, it has called on the Scottish Government to commit additional funding to the beef sector from 2021 to 2024, after BES has run its course.

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NFU Scotland vice-president Charlie Adam said: “The small step that we have taken with the current BES can be translated into a giant leap if we choose to allocate further resources to developing a scheme that better delivers on productivity and for the environment.

“It is well documented that although the principles behind BES were sound, uptake was poorer than expected.

“However, the targeting of support to incentivise positive on-farm activity does ensure that productive beef farms continue to invest and improve in a fast-changing operating environment.

“In the short term, BES can play a role in tackling the beef crisis.

“The forthcoming BES meetings, which will focus on the role of breeding and genetics, can assist businesses in becoming more resilient to future market shocks and should be opened up to all beef producers, not just those in the scheme.”

Meanwhile, Neil McCorkindale, chair of the Scottish Beef Association, has said: “In all honesty, it was more frustrating than anything else. A marvellous opportunity lost is my opinion, but I have not given up hope it might still be rolled out again in a form that is more palatable to beef farmers.

“The SBA would be fully supportive of any scheme that involves a carbon audit and any other incentives that embrace efficiency and tick the carbon reduction box.

“The lessons should have been learned and should not deter the Scottish Government from working with the industry leaders in trying again.”