Farmers to meet Scotch Whisky Association over distillery byproducts in AD plants

The farmers claim energy plants are using up vital supplies of animal feed
The farmers claim energy plants are using up vital supplies of animal feed

Farmers are set to meet the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) to raise concerns over the use of distillery byproducts in anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.

The meeting will take place next week (16 May) in Edinburgh. Farmers have criticised the use of distillery byproducts, such as draff (left-over grain after fermentation) and pot ale syrup, in biomass and anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.

The farmers claim energy plants are using up vital supplies of animal feed, making them more expensive to buy and in many cases impossible to source.

Environment spokesman for the Scottish Tenant Farmers’ Association (STFA) Alastair Nairn has organised the meeting with SWA acting chief executive Julie Hesketh-Laird. He will be joined by STFA director and Sutherland farmer Angus McCall, Glenlivet farmer Michael Durno and NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick.

“We are asking for guarantees that there’s going to be adequate supplies of distillery byproducts available to the industry. There’s no guarantee at the moment,” Mr Nairn told The Press and Journal.

“There’s no doubt that it’s a crisis for the livestock sector. We believe this situation will only get worse as more AD and biomass plants are developed throughout Scotland.”

He said the growth of biomass and AD plants would not only hit the availability of livestock feed but also result in shortage of straw for bedding.