Woodland Expansion

13th February 2012

Secretary to the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group
c/o Forestry Commission Scotland
231 Corstorphine Road
Edinburgh,
EH12 7AT

Dear Sir

I write on behalf of the above organisation who is very concerned at the consequences of woodland expansion in Scotland. The proposal to increase the area of Scotland covered in woodland from the current 17% to 25% poses a real threat to the livestock sector and independent butchers throughout the land.

The Forestry Commission map from 2008 shows that the areas of Scotland with the least trees is Highland, the Western Isles and Shetland. The target 25% is exceeded in Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire, Argyll & Bute and Moray. If the average has to be raised to 25% then it is not the areas where the coverage is low that are going to be able to plant since trees do not grow very well in a lot of those areas. To achieve the target more and more good farmland is going to be covered in woodland.

Whilst this may be good for the environment it creates a big problem with lack of supplies, in particular of beef. With 70% of land potentially targeted for woodland creation occurring on agricultural land it is extremely worrying that the already tight supplies of quality beef cattle would appear to be under further threat.

The value of the livestock industry should not be lost. Farming and the processing of red meat makes a significant contribution to the nation's economic output. Net of subsidies the sector contributed nearly £1.8bn during 2010.

Over 2.5m animals were processed in Scotland's 36 licensed abattoirs during 2010. Primary processing created revenue of £930m and although multiple retailers dominate sales with 70% of the domestic market a considerable part is still play by independent butchers in further boosting the economy.

Independent butchers retain their share by focussing on local sourcing. They use local abattoirs, employ local people, pay rates and deploy local tradesmen in catering for local tastes. Furthermore a large number of modern apprentices are currently in training in this sector. This has not changed during the recession as the sector remains almost resilient to falling disposable income.

If supplies of beef and lamb are made even more scarce than at present the viability of independent butchers will come into question, shops will shut, people will be made unemployed and craft skills will be lost for ever.

Taking this to a local level we can instance a typical businesses with a reliance on locally produced top quality cattle and sheep.

Alan Kennedy in Forfar employs 30 people in his 5 shops in Perthshire and Angus. He buys a substantial amount of his stock weekly at Forfar Market and has them processed through St Andrews abattoir which is the facility most local to him. The business which was established in 1982 trades on quality but relies heavily on the ability to source quality local livestock. If local agricultural land was given over to woodland planting, it would be difficult, if not impossible for Kennedys to maintain both quality and their currently very low carbon footprint since they would have to source meat from a far wider and less reliable area.

Broadly speaking ever tightening supply would increase costs and have a detrimental effect on butchers' businesses.

SFMTA recognises the desire to plant woodland and meet environmental targets but feel that the planting should be sympathetic to the need of other land stakeholders. We are aware of farms being acquired by the Forestry Commission in Central and West Fife. These farms are in areas of prime agricultural land and it is our belief that such land should not be considered.

Beef producers acknowledge that pockets of tree planting can provide valuable shelter for livestock but planting of large areas of woodland severely jeopardises beef production. SFMTA asks you to consider very carefully the aspirations of the meat industry to remain viable. The red meat sector is one which hopes to expand and contribute to the ambitions of Scotland Food and Drink to grow its contribution to the economy, without the raw materials their targets cannot be met.

Yours sincerely
Douglas Scott
Chief Executive