Scottish Beef Cattle Association
Scottish Beef Cattle Association
Committee Members PDF Print E-mail
 Board Members 
 John Cameron President
 John BellChairman
 Charlie Russell V. Chairman
 Peter Alexander V. Chairman
 Pat Lambert Treasurer
 Keith Redpath Technical
 Jim KennedyTechnical
 Scott Henderson Technical
 Colin Clark

 Technical

 Ronnie Mackie Technical

 Committee Liaison Members 
 Gavin Hill SAC
 Murray Hardy SAMW
 Johnny Mackey QMS

 Inverness & Moray 
 John Scott 
 Shaun MacDonald  
 Donald Fraser 

 Caithness, Sutherland & Orkney Isles 
 Tom Sinclair  
 James McKay 
 Ronald Baillie  

 Aberdeenshire 
 David Barron 
 David Stephen 
 

Argyll, Northwest & NW Isles

 
 Malcolm MacDonald 
 Duncan Semple 

 Dumfries & Galloway 
 Margaret Kingan 
 John McIntosh 
 Willie Davidson 
 

Borders and Lothians

 
 Bill Aitken 
 Peter Scott 
 John Hamilton 

 Ayrshire, Kintyre & SW Isles 
 Andrew Young 
 Jim Craig 

 Renfrewshire, Stirlingshire & Lanarkshire 
 Maimie Paterson 
 Campbell Crawford  
 Alan Turnbull 

 Angus, Fife & Kinross 
 John Patullo 
 David Steel  
 Dugald Hamilton 

 

 Perthshire 
 Adrian Ivory 
 Hazel Fotheringham 
 Roddy Kennedy 
 Ronald Mackie 


COMMITTEE MEMBER PROFILE

TOP PERTH BEEF UNIT CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

RONNIE AND Greame Mackie who run Ross Farm near Madderty in Perthshire were one of the first farms to join the SBCA.  The Mackies are serious commercial beef farmers with a main enterprise producing heifers with calves at foot. They also have an interest in pedigree Charolais breeding.  They have also chalked-up a string of successes at the Highland Show and many other events.  The mangement of the suckler herd is an ongoing challenge especially after the events of the last few months with endless disruption to markets coupled to rising feed costs.

Said Mr Mackie: "We are fortunate that we have invested in top breeding stock as well as brand new buildings and handling facilities.  Hopefully we are technically well set up to produce efficient beef of the high quality demanded of the Scottish label.  And while it looks as if the short-term market conditions are going to be tough, we are confident that the longer term will be good for specialist Scottish beef producers as world supplies tighten and food demand increases.  The Mackies are confident that they can produce cattle suited to trade and consumer demands - but they remain concerned that their future profitability is often determined by events outside the farm gate.  We are jumping through costly hoops at the behest of government and see dubious beef being imported to our EU markets from countries like Brazil.  We are also at a loss to understand how Scotland could be treated so badly by the Westminster government with respect to FMD  restrictions imposed on us and incredibly the about-turn in refusing funding assistance."

Added Mr Mackie: "The Scottish beef industry has to have a strong voice to win a fair trading position for farmers, otherwise all our investment and expertise will be wasted.  The Scottish Beef Cattle Association has provided the kind of focused organisation to make an impact on the policy makers in Edinburgh, London and Brussels.  If they can keep up the good work done to date I am confident that breeders and finishers of Scottish beef can rebuild confidence for the future." 

 

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