Beef farmers are demanding action to turn around the lowest beef price in three years.

NFU Scotland is lobbying the Scottish Government, major retailers and meat processors at the Highland Show on the collapse of the beef price.

“Brexit-fuelled uncertainty, an over-supplied market and a €100m bailout deal for Irish beef farmers have all contributed to a significant collapse in the market price for beef, undermining on-farm profitability,” stated NFU Scotland.

Not since the Brexit vote three years ago have beef prices been so poor in Scotland. Towards the end of June, supply traditionally rises to match summer demand driven by barbecues. There are 2.5% more cattle in abattoirs this year compared to last but the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel, a market research company, show a 3.1% year on year reduction in sales volumes, with mince being discounted to support sales volumes. Soft domestic demand is backed up with a 6.6% fall in import volumes to the UK in the first quarter of 2019 and a 9.3% increase in exports.

Earlier this year NFU Scotland carried out a shelf watch on beef which identified that over 90 per cent of beef products in Scottish supermarkets was either Scottish or British

Livestock committee chairman Jimmy Ireland, a beef and sheep farmer from Ayrshire said: “When some supermarket burgers are retailing for more than 660 p/kg and Scotch sirloins going for more than 2200 p/kg, somebody is clearly making a living from the Scottish beef sector, but it’s not those producing beef on Scotland’s farms and crofts.

“Earlier this year NFU Scotland carried out a shelf watch on beef which identified that over 90 per cent of beef products in Scottish supermarkets was either Scottish or British. It’s good to see that our produce is readily available, but this is not translating into anything near a sustainable farm gate price.

“Those who finish beef cattle on farm need to have the confidence that they will make a fair return from the market if the whole beef supply chain is to work. Their confidence is reflected in the price they then pay for their store calves and this just isn’t happening now.

The Irish may be facing Brexit uncertainty but that doesn’t come close to describing the current political situation here in Scotland and the lack of market confidence it inspires

“To add insult to injury, the Irish have received ‘emergency support’ of up to €100m from the European Commission and the Irish Government, with Brexit uncertainty being cited as the reason.

“The Irish may be facing Brexit uncertainty but that doesn’t come close to describing the current political situation here in Scotland and the lack of market confidence it inspires. In March, we thought we would be out of Europe, then in April we thought the same, and now we are told that it could be October, and there could be a deal, or maybe not?”