Farmlay Visit As Part Of ‘Meating Our Potential’ Campaign

Farmlay welcomed North East MSPs and councillors to Cockmuir Farm outside Strichen recently as part of Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) ‘Meating Our Potential’ campaign, which encourages Scotland’s beef farmers to add just two more cows to their herd each year to help ensure the supply of beef meets the ongoing buoyant consumer demand.

The visit offered the attendees – many of whom were visiting a working farm for the first time – insight into how Scotland’s integrated arable, beef and poultry systems contribute to the nation’s health, economy and environment, while highlighting both the opportunities and challenges facing Scotland’s farming sector.

Host Iain Chapman, Managing Director of Farmlay Eggs, opened with an overview of the family’s growing beef operation.

“Chapman Farm, our arable and beef enterprise, comprises 3,000 acres – 2,200 of arable land with the remainder being grassland, for our cattle, and woodland for the free-range hens to roam. We recently increased our beef suckler herd by 20 cows, bringing the total to 250. All the progenies are fattened on the farm,” says Iain, who explained the farm’s integrated and circular production system.

“Both the cattle and poultry manure goes back on to the land to provide nitrogen for our grass and arable crops and much of our wheat and barley is used as feed for the hens.”

Iain went on to describe Farmlay’s egg production, “Seven million eggs are packed on site at Cockmuir each week and we now have 27 contract egg producers stretching from Nairn to Kinross. The business has grown an average of 13% year-on-year to meet demand and continues to supply major retailers, including Aldi and Lidl.”

The discussion encompassed wide-ranging topics including workforce challenges, with one MSP raising the challenges Aberdeenshire businesses have with recruitment.

Iain explained, “We currently employ 90 staff locally, with strong retention rates and pay above the national minimum wage. We struggled with recruitment until about a year ago, particularly for the livestock roles, which are physically demanding and need cover seven days a week. We've been able to fill these difficult-to-recruit positions by bringing in 20 skilled workers from the Philippines, who have integrated well into our team.”

Robert Chapman, father and founder of Farmlay and Chapman Farms added, “The days of a brush and a wheelbarrow are almost gone. This is a high-tech industry now and one full of opportunity - especially within poultry where technology is advancing as rapidly as it is.”

Conversations continued into how education and training pathways could be improved, ensuring long-term supply contracts to support and encourage farmer investment, and providing producers with the right support to grow their herds and wider businesses.

QMS Chair Kate Rowell highlighted the long-term risk if Scotland doesn’t grow the national herd, “Livestock numbers are falling due to lack of confidence in recent years and fewer people entering the industry – the average age of a Scottish farmer is said to be 60 years old. Red meat demand looks set to remain high, but supply could fall, which is when imports fill the gap."

“In the UK, people are eating more meat, not less, and this is largely because the UK population is increasing and protein is in high demand, so it’s really important that we look at how we can help producers to maintain and increase herd numbers.”

Also in attendance were Scottish Red Meat Resilience Group Partners - the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland.

Iain and Robert Chapman concluded by detailing the benefits of an integrated farming system and shared their plans for growth in the next 12 months.

“As we look ahead, five of our existing contract egg producers are currently expanding – providing an additional 176,000 laying hens and we have plans to introduce a new feed mill which will process up to 800-tonnes per week, giving us more control over diets and the quality of finished feed.

“We will continue to invest to ensure we’re as efficient and productive as we can be in the future - playing our part in meeting Scotland's growing demand for quality, locally produced food.”

Photo Credit - Jane Craigie Marketing