Scotland the Brand

Aberdeen-Angus genetics leading the way at LiveScot with Beef Rib championship

Aberdeen-Angus breeders took home the prestigious accolade of overall Beef Rib champion at LiveScot 2021.

Held at Lanark Agricultural Centre, Matthew and Heather Currie from the Kingholm Herd at Dumfries won the competition, which was sponsored by Royal Smithfield Club and Kepak McIntosh Donald, with their showstopping pedigree beef ribs.

The champion was a purebred steer by AberdeenAngus Weeton Rocky R459, born 9/11/20 who killed out at 298kg and graded at R4H. Coming up as reserve champion for beef rib was another Kingholm heifer, also by Weeton Rocky, born 1/5/20, who killed out at 361kg to the same grade.

Mr Currie, who is also a council member for The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, has a history of producing competition winning beef.

“Weeton Rocky also sired the champion purebred whole Aberdeen-Angus carcase in 2019 at the Premier Meat Exhibition. Our herd also won the LiveScot Beef Rib competition back in 2018, and picked up other whole carcase purebred champion awards in 2013, 2015 and 2018.

“The winning genetics remain available as the reserve champion was twin to a bull who is destined for Stirling in February 2022,” adds Mr Currie.

“It’s a fantastic recognition to receive as an Aberdeen-Angus breeder. We focus on selling to commercial beef producers and we’re clear that beef is our business. The win is confirmation that what we’re doing with our herd is working and celebrates the years of work we’ve put into the herd genetics,” he says.

Commenting on the win, Robert Gilchrist, acting CEO of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, says this is a great achievement for the breed.

“The breed is renowned for its meat-eating quality and the Currie’s win is a testament to that. It’s vital our breed’s genetics perform well on the hook as this is the ultimate goal for beef. It needs to kill out and eat well, as we want to be producing beef that is fit for the future market. For Aberdeen-Angus to come out on top in this prime beef rib championship is something we are really proud to celebrate.”

Scotland

The Brand Going to Seed

By Ruth Watson

Food security is at the fore of many minds as we move deeper into the unknown territory of Brexit. With the full impact of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures still to be implemented, many questions remain unanswered; issues such as whether the moratorium on neonicotinoids will continue, to potential delays and increased costs of imported seeds. There also is a growing awareness about the importance of native crops to biodiversity. Wellestablished companies, like Skotia Seeds and Watson Seeds, provide a range of products for grazing and habitats with a distinctly Scottish heritage.

The Gaia Foundation has developed a Seed Sovereignty Programme addressing the stark fact that we have lost 75% of crop diversity since the early 1900s, and 60% of the world’s seed patents are owned by 4 petro-chemical companies. Richie Walsh is working with Scottish growers to develop knowledge and techniques many of our farming forebears would have considered standard – yet only have taken several short decades to forget.

“Scotland has a fantastic history and tradition of growing which has been lost. Seed has gone from farmers’ hands into big business,” Richie says.

Across Scotland, commercial growers and community groups are reviving and renewing the skill of seed saving. Many community gardens have little corners of Ailsa Craig tomatoes destined to become the starting point of seed sharing schemes. Smallholders, crofters, and those with an interest in regenerative farming are developing their knowledge to save the best of their seeds for future crops.

The James Hutton Institute is working on bringing back core Scottish crops which once would have been common across the country. Dr Joanna Russell is part of a team which has worked to develop a collection of 140 grains. She believes the key issue is diversity.

“We never know what the weather will be from one year to the next. We need to grow with an eye to the future while understanding the value of seeds with deep roots in the past,” Dr Russell says.

Wise words, indeed.