Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the promotional body, has proposed increasing the levies it charges red meat producers in the country.
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QMS has called for an increase in levies of of 93p per head of cattle, 13p per lamb and 21p per pig.
Currently, red meat producers are charged GBP4.57 (US$7.30) per head of cattle, 67p per lamb and GBP1.05 per pig.
A spokesperson for QMS, which operates the Scotish meat assurance scheme, said that the move was “absolutely necessary” to ensure the body was able to effectively promote Scottish meat products.
“Levies have not increased for eight years and we are now at a point where, unless our revenues grow, we would have to look at scaling back our activities,” the spokesperson said.
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By GlobalDataSpeaking yesterday (30 September) at the launch of the organisation’s annual review, chairman Donald Biggar said the work undertaken by the body is crucial to building a sustainable, vibrant red meat industry in Scotland.
“We are now at a crossroads in terms of balancing QMS’s income from levy with our ability to deliver effectively for the red meat sector to ensure it continues to be well-placed to move forward as a strong, dynamic and efficient player in Scotland’s food industry,” Biggar emphasised.
Increasing the levy will require approval by Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead.
The move will be debated at a series of producer meetings this autumn before being passed to the cabinet secretary for approval.
