Red Meat Warning as Scottish Beef Supplies Dwindle
Supermarket shelves across Scotland could see shortages of red meat as beef supplies near a “critical point”.
The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) has warned that beef supplies are dwindling as cattle levels continue to fall.
The number of cattle used for beef production has declined by more than 10% over the past ten years.
Farmers say staff shortages are the main factor behind declining numbers and that the government must develop better policies to help grow herds.
Scotland’s red meat sector employs more than 3,000 people across more than 20 processing plants and contributes more than £2bn to the economy.
Scott Walker, SAMW, expressed “serious concern” about insufficient supplies to meet domestic demand with the decline “likely to be felt on retail shelves at certain points” in 2025.
Cattle farmer David Smith said the biggest problem is ensuring there is enough labour to cover everything needed to care for cattle.
“It’s 24 hours a day, and you have to feed them with no days off. They don’t take holidays,” he said.
Beth Franklin & Haley Bouma | STV News
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