Farming

By Alec Ross

Anger amongst Scotland’s cereal producers is growing after reports of imported wheat being supplied to a major distiller.

NFU Scotland vice-president Andrew Connon has written to both the end user and the importer to highlight his concern that this is happening at a time when cereal prices are under significant pressure and are struggling to meet the cost of production. He has also raised questions about crop assurance and provenance.

“At a time when quality, traceability and carbon are the buzz words,” he writes, “surely a Scottish premium is easily justified”.

Round-up

Bullocks at St Boswells yesterday averaged 298p/kg and sold to 330p/kg, while heifers averaged 303p/kg and sold to 342p/kg, and cast cows averaged 210p/kg and sold to £2,135/head.

Hoggs continued to meet with exceptional demand, averaging 245p/kg and selling to 434p/kg for Beltexes, while cast sheep averaged £102/head and sold to £180 for a Texel ewe, and light ewes sold to £121/head for Hill Cheviots.

OTM cattle continued to meet with demand at Dumfries yesterday, with beef cows selling to 258p/kg for Eastlands or to £2,242 for Braehead, while dairy cows sold to 232p/kg for Kirktonfield or to £1,887 for Conheath. Store heifers sold to £1,860/head for Lantonside or to 345p/kg for Low Glasnick, while bullocks sold to £1,780 for Abune the Brae or to 348p/kg for Belridding.

A plainer show of hoggs at Ayr yesterday still achieved an average of 340p/kg and sold to £196/head for Beltexes from Balcaimie or to 423p/head for Beltexes from Helenton Gate, while Blackies sold to £169/head for Craig or to 358p/kg for a pen of 49 from the same home. Cast ewes peaked at £200 for a Texel cross from Blairbowie with Glenside leading the tup trade at £187 for a Suffolk cross. Hill ewes sold to £127 for Cheviots from Stairvew while Blackies sold to £119/head for a pen of 20 from Barlaes. And Humeston sold the best of the Suffolk crosses for £138/head.

Prime beef-bred heifers at Lanark yesterday held up well at an average of 301p/kg and sold to 344p/kg for a Limousin, while beef-bred bullocks also met with demand, averaging 292p/kg and peaking at 322p/kg, again for a Limousin. Cast beef and dairy cows also met with demand and rose by 7p/kg and 5p/kg respectively to averages of 187p/kg and 160p/kg. And hoggets continued their incredible trade by rising 8p on the week to average 352p/kg, peaking at 426p/kg.

Finally, prime beef-bred bullocks met with excellent demand at Carlisle yesterday, averaging 297p/kg, a 20p rise on the week, and selling to 338p/kg. And Lowland ewes averaged £141/head and sold to £310 for a Texel, with Hill ewes averaging £89/head and selling to £190 for a Cheviot.