Tesco, Aldi and Lidl top supporters of Scotch Beef
A shelf watch conducted by NFU Scotland at the stores of nine retailers has found that 74% of the beef stocked was Scotch Beef.
Tesco, Aldi and Lidl were the top supporters of Scotch Beef, stocking nearly 100% of the product at the stores surveyed.
Despite the overall high levels of support for Scotch Beef, NFU Scotland did find that retailers in some cases were inconsistent.
However, NFU Scotland says the survey provides a snapshot of the support for Scotch Beef and demonstrates a clear drive from a number of retailers to support Scottish famers and the Scottish beef industry.
NFU Scotland livestock committee chairman, Charlie Adam, commented: “The results demonstrate that support for Scotch Beef from Scottish retailers is a mixed bag. Credit must go to Tesco, Aldi and Lidl for their support for Scottish provenance for beef.
“Scotch Beef rightly has a strong international reputation and it is clear that shoppers want to be able to eat Scotch Beef in Scotland. With Brexit negotiations on the horizon we need strong support for Scottish food and farming from Scottish retailers and we hope the sourcing of Scottish beef can be improved in the future,” Adam continued.
“Price deflation for meat continues to impact the industry and this is an ongoing concern for Scotland’s farmers and crofters, but it is positive to see strong demand for Scotch Beef by some large retailers.
“While 97% of the beef counted was either Scottish or British there was also an amount of imported beef. With uncertainty over the future trading relationship of the United Kingdom with the rest of the world we would like to see all retailers decrease their reliance on imported meat.”
The shelf watch survey was carried out from 3rd to 7th October and saw 14 supermarket across Scotland visited and 2,800 packs of beef counted.
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