Scotland’s iconic suckler beef industry is being dismantled by government inaction, the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has warned, criticising Holyrood’s failure to deliver coherent agricultural policy.
In a strongly worded statement, AIMS accused the Scottish government of "political neglect" as the red meat sector faces what it describes as an “economic clearance.”
The warning follows the recent launch of the Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) “Scottish Red Meat Resilience Group” campaign, aimed at promoting unity and public commitment across the supply chain.
However, AIMS executive director Dr Jason Aldiss said that, without meaningful policy and financial support, such initiatives amount to little more than “political theatre.”
“AIMS argues that without firm policy, financial backing, and practical support from the Scottish government, such pledges are little more than political theatre,” said Dr Aldiss.
“Having spent years demanding a significant reduction in livestock numbers to meet their precious climate goals, ministers may claim they do not support the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation to cut livestock numbers — but their actions, or lack thereof, suggest otherwise.”
According to AIMS, which represents abattoirs and meat processors, producer confidence has collapsed due to prolonged policy indecision and a lack of leadership.
“Not one substantive programme exists to stabilise or rebuild the national beef herd,” said Dr Aldiss. “Instead, years of dithering, weak leadership, and disjointed policy have stripped confidence from producers, who are quietly exiting the sector in droves.”
He warned: “Make no mistake — this is not simply a market adjustment. It is an economic clearance: a slow-motion dismantling of the suckler sector by political neglect.
"The echoes of the Highland Clearances are chilling. This time, it is not the landowners driving people out, but a government that has chosen gesture politics over governance.”
Dr Aldiss said both producers and processors are desperate for real leadership, not rhetoric. “The Scottish red meat industry — producers and processors alike — are crying out for leadership. What they get instead are press releases.”
He pointed to long-term investments made by beef processors in infrastructure, export markets, quality assurance schemes, and the PGI Scotch Beef brand — all of which are now under threat due to the decline in cattle numbers.
“Rather than standing idly by while farmers sell off cows and grasslands fall silent, the Scottish government must act,” he said.
“It must create a framework that offers genuine incentives for producers to maintain and grow herd numbers and ensure that processors have the raw material to continue adding value, providing jobs, feeding the nation, and driving growth through exports to high-value markets.”
Dr Aldiss concluded with a stark warning: “This is a moment for candour. Without urgent, coordinated, and properly funded policy intervention, Scotland will lose a large part of its red meat industry.
"The silence from Holyrood is not neutrality — it is complicity.”
