Can Blackies stay in the Black?

Eight hill lamb producers from across Islay, Mull and North Argyll recently sent 250 Blackface store lambs to be finished on a farm in Stow in the Borders, under the supervision of Nigel Millar NFUS National vice chairman. The producers have set out to research all the costs associated with the lambs till they reach market, with a view to establishing the baseline costs of production for Argyll store producers.

Bert Leitch, NFUS regional Chair whose son in law is a participant farmer is not new to this type of project having taken part in the Highland s and Islands Development Board lamb finishing scheme in the 1980’s. But Bert maintains that many things have changed since then, “with costs increasing it is important to establish the best possible route to market for these lambs”.

This research project is one of a number identified by the Argyll Hill Lamb Producers Working Group. The recent reports from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, NFUS, SAC and Environment Link have raisied the profile of the accelerated downturn in hill sheep numbers in the Highlands and Islands area. The Working Group members are witnessing this change first hand and have identified actions that can be taken at a local level to reverse the current trend.

Angus Macfadyen, Chair of the Agricultural Forum and participant farmer, “Knowing the real costs of production will allow us to seek a fair return for what we know is a quality product”.

The project is being coordinated through the Argyll and Bute Agricultural Forum utilising expertise from the Scottish Agricultural College in Oban. Fergus Younger, Development Manager with the Forum is working with the producers to identify other actions that can be taken at a local. These include researching producer/finisher contract models, local food markets and evidencing the value of the hill sheep sector to High Nature Value farming.

The findings of the research project and the details will be displayed on the forum website www.argyllagriculturalforum.com

Ends

Release Date:

9th December 08 Further information from: Fergus Younger Argyll Area Agricultural Strategy Development Manager SAC Farm Business Services, 12 Burnside Street, Campbeltown, Argyll PA28 6JE T 01586 552502 F 01586 553371 M 07899 940394 E fergus.younger@sac.co.uk

Notes for Editors

1. The Agricultural Forum is a rural partnership that works towards a vision of sustainable and prosperous farming and crofting enterprises benefiting communities across the Argyll Area. Website www.argyllagriculturalforum.com

2. SAC website www.sac.ac.uk/

3. NFUS website www.nfus.org.uk

9 November 2008