THE Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) is encouraging those who are considering making the switch to organic to do the sums, as all organic commodities currently have premiums.
SOPA board member Roger Baird, who is also a director at grain merchant WN Lindsay, said: "The increasing demand for organic crops in Scotland has ensured a minimum of £100/t over their conventional counterparts. Confidence is now at a level where organic end-users are offering very attractive fixed price contracts for the 2017 harvest."
Funding to switch to organic is available through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) that has an application deadline of March 31.
Market round-up
United Auctions sold 601 store heifers at Stirling on Wednesday to a top of 271.3p per kg and an average of 228.8p (+13.8p on the week), while 1382 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at 294p and levelled at 235.3p (+11.9p). Twenty store, B&W bullocks sold to 173.8p and averaged 155.5p (+15.5p).
In the rough ring 111 beef cows sold to £1550 per head and 181.7p per kg to average 129.3p (-2.2p), while 19 beef cows peaked at £1070 and 116.9p to level at 104p (+4.6p).
C&D Auction Marts Ltd sold 9 prime heifers in Dumfries on Wednesday to a top of 224p and an average of 204.2p.
There were 55 OTM cattle presented in the rough ring when beef cows sold to £963.60 and 171p to average 125p, while dairy cows peaked at £1181.25 and 132p to level at 107.5p.
The firm also sold 530 prime hoggs to a top of £88 per head and 191p per kg to average 171.3p (+13.1p).
A nice show of 397 cast sheep saw heavy ewes sell to £140.50 for Texels and average £72.17, while light ewes peaked at £61.50 and levelled at £35.64.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd had 1553 prime hoggs forward at their weekly sale in Newton Stewart on Wednesday that incorporated a show and sale of Blackface prime hoggs held on behalf of the Dumfries & Galloway Branch of the Blackface Sheep Breeders' Association.
The champion rosette was awarded to Messrs McIlwrick, Balmurrie a pen that scaled 47kg each and went on to sell for £87.
One-hundred Blackface show hoggs averaged £76.90 (45kg at 171p/kg). Those not forward in the show peaked at £82.50 for a pen of Suffolks and 194.3p for lightweight Beltex, with the overall average for all the hoggs sold (including the show Blackfaces) levelling at 166.6p (+6.3p).
A smaller offering of 102 cast sheep peaked at £98 for a Suffolk cross ewe and £87 for Texel cross ewes.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here