update
News from, and for, Scotland’s farmer co-ops - Summer 2022
‘Back to Normality’ for the SAOS Conference With Focus on Sustainability and Actions It was great to be back to the buzz of a face to face conference and, despite our moving to a Spring date which we knew would mean a drop in attendance from farmer members, we were delighted with the strong turnout we had at Dunblane on the last day of March for the SAOS Conference 2022. After a welcome from our CEO, Tim Bailey, we’d a very positive presentation from Mark Brooking (right) Sustainability Director at First Milk. Producing 850 million litres of milk a year, the co-op, which has 700 members across Scotland, England and Wales, continues to grow, with milk volumes up 25%, turnover up more than 50%, and net assets almost doubling to more than £40m. Mark told us that opponents of the dairy industry are using climate change as a stick to beat it with. “There are individuals and organisations which would like to see no dairy produced in the UK at all,” he said and told delegates that the dairy industry needs to respond pro-actively to this. “If there are practices we cannot defend, we need to change those practices. Every time there is a negative story in the press, someone will decide to stop using dairy.” But sustainability presents an opportunity as well as a challenge. Since consumers “are interested in where their food is coming from, more than ever before“ he said, and co-op farmers have a story to tell, that of “traditional family farms that care about people, animals, the Earth.” Mark suggested that co-ops need to raise awareness of the work they are doing on building social capital, giving the example of First Milk’s Women In Agriculture group; and also on animal welfare, with all First Milk farmers having signed a pledge “beyond the RSPCA five freedoms” stating that their “cows will go out to graze and that no healthy animal will be euthanised on farm”. Net Zero remains the biggest issue though, with 95% of dairy industry emissions coming from farms. To tackle this, (as we’ve covered in previous SAOS Updates) First Milk has developed its First4Milk programme and set a series of targets through this which its farmers have committed to voluntarily . “We have to address this. It’s a big challenge and it will mean that farming will be different in the future.” Mark said. “To reach net zero by 2040, farmers need to sequester 100,000 tonnes of carbon in the soil, each year, by 2025; and increase milk produced from forage by 10% by 2025. All transport and processing must be done by renewable fuel by 2030. To drive this, First Milk advocates regenerative agriculture, a holistic model which uses animals in the field to help sequester carbon; work to minimise soil disturbance and protect the soil surface, work to encourage plant diversity and maintain living roots. Farm data and digital mapping are crucial here, he said, to allow farmers to measure increased carbon measures in the soil and demonstrate “how we’re helping the planet“. Using soil sampling to a metre depth, First Milk now has the biggest soil data set in the UK, he added; it is also mapping hedges, watercourses, grazing, cultivation, electricity use, feed and fertiliser. “We’re collaborating for success through the whole supply chain,” he said, and with a hugely positive response from First Milk farmer members as more than 90% have signed up. Next on the podium was farmer, Graham Barr, (right) who is also Chair of the Pentlands Land Managers Association, which SAOS was integral in setting up, to enable the group to find collaborative ways to manage access to the park following a surge in problems and inappropriate behaviour during the pandemic. The Pentland Hills Regional Park - which comprises 9,000 hectares of land on urban fringe of Edinburgh - has 600,000 leisure visitors a year, but funding cuts mean there are only three rangers, and no visitor education. As a result, rubbish is left, fires are lit, trees are chopped, gates are left open letting livestock loose, and livestock is attacked by dogs. All of which has had a significant impact on farmers’ mental health, Graham told us. (Continued overleaf)
SAOS Conference Review continued
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SAOS has been helping the group in various ways; to form an Association, to facilitate discussions, helping to build relationships between landowners and councils, the emergency services and politicians, and providing a collective voice to drive visitor engagement and education, and drive biodiversity projects in the park. Our final morning speaker was SAOS Chaiman, John Hutcheson, a director of GrainCo, who told us about the way farmers are working together drive sustainability at scale. Our original speaker for the slot was Matt Waldie who, like John, is a member of GrainCo’s Oat Producer Group. (Matt was one of the busy farmers who couldn’t make the rearranged date, but he joined us instead through a video interview with John on his farm.) John and Matt told us how sustainability is actually becoming increasingly market-driven, noting that Quaker, one of GrainCo’s main customers, has asked for more sustainable production with an auditable process so it can show customers the provenance of what they’re buying on its packaging. Sustainable grain production can be a challenge in Scotland, with wet weather harvests meaning more energy is needed to dry the crop, but Matt is leading the way in finding solutions, chairing a group of farmers – 4 Front Farming – who are sharing equipment to drive savings and collaborating for more eco-friendly farming techniques, such as using a cover clover crop which feeds the soil, creates organic matter, reduces fertiliser inputs, protects soil over winter and feeds wildlife. Matt is also a member of LEAF, the sustainable farming marque which has plans for soil management, crop health, water management, and land and nature conservation. (We were greatly saddened to hear of the death of Caroline Drummond MBE, LEAF’s Chief Executive and great advocate for agricultural education and sustainable farming,and we send our condolences to her farmily, friends and colleagues.) All three of the speaker presentations from the conference are available on the SAOS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-uEGPY2Cs2DraH_KptFgwQ Please subscribe to hear about any new videos we create.
ERB Award for ‘Natural Co-operator’ Gareth Baird Gareth Baird received the 2022 Ed Rainy Brown Memorial Award for his truly exceptional service to co-operation and collaboration in farming, food, and rural Scotland. Gareth was presented with the award at the SAOS Conference Dinner by Katy Rainy Brown. Announcing him as the recipient of the award, SAOS Chairman, John Hutcheson, explained how Gareth’s involvement had been to the great benefit of many co-ops and organisations, however SAOS is particularly fortunate to have benefitted from Gareth’s wisdom and good judgement, as well as his passion and enthusiasm, over the last four decades. In fact he is the only person to have led the organisation both as President, 2000-03, and Chairman, from 2007-09. SAOS’s CEO for both those terms, James Graham, could not be present but added a tribute to Gareth. He wrote: “There is no-one more deserving of the award or who better personifies what the award is intended to recognise. You are quite simply one of the greatest co-operators of our age. This springs from your genuine willingness both to be of service in our community, and to shoulder the responsibilities of leadership. You embody what we know as co-operative values.” The Ed Rainy Brown Award is jointly sponsored by NFU Scotland. Their Chief Executive, Scott Walker, said: “Farming is an industry that needs constant innovation. And Gareth has been an individual who, for many years, has been willing to lead change through collaboration. His involvement in Scottish farming and the rural community, the wider food supply chain and other sectors, means he has always brought a wealth of experience to all that he does. Co-operation can help farmers adapt and give them strength in the supply chain. Gareth is an individual who believes in co-ops and the collective strength they can give to individual farmers and embodies what this award stands for.” John Hutcheson told Gareth: “What is so evident to me is your exceptional ability to communicate with people at all levels as well as being able to think strategically with a real vision for our industry. On top of all this though, you are quite simply a thoroughly decent person and it is a huge personal pleasure to me to be able to announce this award.”
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Conference Forum Leaders Share Thoughts on Their Sessions Forum A - Consumer Insights
SAOS’s Amanda Brown, Project Director for the SF&D Partnership’s Knowledge Bank, shared the latest findings on key sustainability drivers, current trends and and how we can use these.
Understanding consumer behaviour is key for all parts of the food and drink supply chain and helps direct what crops and animals are grown and reared for consumption. In recent years there has been growing interest in the importance of sustainability in our industry and whilst world events including Brexit, Covid and the situation in Ukraine have been holding our attention most recently, the importance of climate change and sustainability are big issues that are only going to grow in importance. At the conference we took a look at how consumers think about sustainability in food and drink and asked the breakout groups to consider: • What sustainability credentials do Scottish co-ops/businesses have that would be of interest to consumers? • How should co-ops/businesses communicate their credentials to consumers and what are the benefits? Through our discussions we were able to identify that the Scottish agriculture sector has a great range of positive credentials that consumers would find engaging including low food miles when buying local food and produce, shorter supply chains, family-owned, grass-fed, natural farming systems, working collaboratively, and for those in processing, a move towards greater use of recyclable packaging. It’s all very well having great credentials that buyers – both shopper and trade – can be motivated by, however perhaps more important is how we communicate these credentials as this helps deliver better understanding and build awareness, can help create closer links in the supply chains, create and retain more value, as well as building a strong reputation for the work already underway in our agri food and drink supply chains. There was a consensus from many in the groups that the time to act is now and that we have a short window to put in place the systems and support needed to ensure that Scotland can continue to be at the forefront of building a sustainable, successful and profitable food and drink sector fit for today’s, and tomorrow’s markets, whilst ensuring that consumers join and appreciate the journey that we’re on.
Forum B - Messaging Opportunities Anna Davies of Scene & Herd, who we work closely with, explored how we can maximise opportunities by working better together as an industry, embracing a more joined-up approach to actions and consistent messaging.
Rather than mounting a defence against some of the accusations thrown its way, Scottish farming would do better to tell its own story in a more positive way and help the wider population understand more about the ways in which farming delivers for us all. Consumers have the right to exercise choice in their habits, and perhaps farming needs to work harder to ensure that those choices are informed, rather than being driven by misinformation coming from elsewhere. Consumer behaviour is what drives supermarket behaviour and so ensuring that consumers are given the truth is critical. What might be seen as challenges, such as the fight against climate change, are also an opportunity for farming to highlight its positive impact. It’s been argued that whilst certain organisations have a role to play in creating a positive narrative in order to give Scottish farming a competitive advantage, that actually each and every farmer and farm business must take responsibility for joining the positive storytelling ‘revolution’. However, there needs to be joined up thinking and co-ordination before we see real progress. What can be done to create a more unified approach to Scottish farming’s storytelling journey? Suggested action points that came from the sessions: • Find ways to ensure that people from all avenues within farming are equipped with the skills and confidence to tell their own story • Potential creation of a week long cross-industry campaign to highlight the positives delivered by Scottish farming • Encourage ALL farmers to embrace and engage with social media to get their authentic stories out more widely • Make better use of well-known farmers and influencers, such as Jim Smith and Cammy from ‘The Sheep Game’ vlog, to spread wider messaging using their channels • Market research, in particular with young people, to understand their current beliefs around farming and to find out what they want to know and hear • Create a bank of bitesize video snippets of farming life to tell the story in a visual way • Mutual support and a commitment - every individual can do SOMETHING, no matter how small.
SAOS Conference Forum C - Data Use - it really is that smart
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Geroge Noble, left, and Robert Logan, right ,shared ways SAOS has been using data since our conference in 2020 to drive improvements and greater efficiency/sustainability.
Talking through the progress and the opportunities within producer and co-operative digital and tech focused projects being delivered across SAOS, was an enjoyable task. Most important though, was the strong level of engagement and feedback. It is always good to take stock of what has been achieved and reflect on purpose. Data is a means to an end rather than an end in itself – that was a recurring message and reinforced our constant ‘why?’ question. What is it we want to achieve? Then, and only then - how might tech, data capture, and analysis help? With so much opportunity, it is easy to get side-tracked by a ‘lake’ of data. A resounding message from the sessions was to make sure data projects focus on real-life challenges. There are many others equipped to push the boundaries of, for example, deep learning AI, but our agricultural co-ops can help producers deliver positive change now. There was a lot of expertise in the room over the course of the afternoon and it was great to hear the chatter of ideas. Adding value to producer co-op’s member services, providing farm insight, and increasing accuracy and ease of completion of paperwork were some of the common asks. This has all been taken on board. A parting comment was to consider that ‘if something is important, why has it not been done before?’ The ScotEID cattle data dashboard and SmartRural are examples of how developing expertise is helping members and stakeholders through the necessary transition and delivering tangible value across business and environment. Please do get in touch if you would be interested to discuss anything further. With thanks to all who contributed to the sessions, in co-operation, Robert and George.
Cultivating Collaboration Network First Webinar ‘take-homes’ and Next Steps In March, the C2Network hosted its first webinar on “Decarbonisation on Farm- new thinking to drive change”, with more than one hundred delegates representing a range of organisations. This provided the springboard for two, topic focused, round table discussions: the ‘roadmap for green hydrogen production on farm’ and ‘revalorisation of farm waste using a range of technology approaches’. As one of our key speakers, Peter Murphy, Director of UK Water Ltd, noted, the UK agriculture and co-operative sector is in a time of critical change with rising energy and fertiliser costs, and food, crops and produce market values all rising considerably. This has resulted in a unique opportunity to use organic waste materials to reduce direct costs and to reduce the carbon of materials supplied into the food chain for customers and consumers. It is a critical time to consider how to decarbonise agriculture activities through wider collaboration. From the co-op perspective, Murray Forsyth, Director of Aberdeen Grain, welcomed the diversity of background of
those attending the webinar and asserted that this showed how this issue is cutting across the entire agriculture sector and that, whilst farmers and farming may be key, it clearly extends across the supply chain. There are no easy solutions, and innovation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing are going to be fundamental in achieving necessary progress. Going forward, C2Network is fully committed to its agenda of thought provoking topics related to agriculture and we’re delighted to be working in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and the European Space Agency for our second webinar entitled “Earth Observation and Data”. The Royal Highland Show will be the venue for discussions between Scotland’s earth observation enterprises and our co-ops, as we frame the co-op derived challenges for our next chapter. If you are interested in participating in the roundtable discussions or how earth observation derived data could address a challenge that will unlock potential for your business, do contact us c2network@saos.coop or through our social media channels.
You are cordially invited... We are truly delighted to be able to welcome SAOS’s member co-op directors, and other invited guests, to our Highland Show stand once again - please join us for a sociable drink and some nibbles at the SAOS/ScotEID stand from 4-6pm on Thursday, 23rd June. RSVP if you can join us by email to: jennifer.thompson@saos.coop before 16th June. SmartRural will have some of their sensors ‘on show’, so come and have a chat about how they work and what’s ‘coming soon’. We are also delighted to welcome the Flowers Grown in Scotland group, who SAOS helped bring together, and they will have some of their wares on show to brighten up the tea room. We are situated ringside on 7th Avenue - look out for Edie the colourful EID cow! We hope to see you either at the reception or please pop in for a chat and make use of the tea room catering.
The Problem of Many Hands
Robert Logan’s piece on the Co-ops and the Climate Challenge project in our last issue touched on the point of ‘Many Hands’. Here he elaborates on the ‘problem’. If your objective was to crowd surf from the stage to the bar at a rock concert, it may start with great enthusiasm but the momentum is likely to fade, you will head in any broad direction, and are as likely to be dropped as reach your destination. That, simply, is the ‘problem of many hands’ a philosophical problem with roots in real-world application. Let’s use climate change mitigation as the objective: most people will be in broad acceptance that efficiency measures that lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and protect the planet are agreeable. We are therefore collectively responsible to deliver on that commitment but, and herein lies the flaw, nobody is individually responsible for achieving the target. The action of any individual or small farming business makes no material difference to something as large as the atmosphere and geoscience. The argument develops that there is an impossibility of properly discharging the collective responsibility among an unco-ordinated collection of agents, since the individuals lack an organisational structure for effectively distributing responsibility at the individual level. (Piazza, 2021). Our industry has a stronger common bond to the land and, local, rural communities than most could legitimately claim but, nonetheless, it is a collection of some 12,000 independent farming businesses (custodian ‘agents’) with different needs, trying to make their way in the world, along with multiple supply chain, organisation, and stakeholder interest groups. Reflecting on the problem of many hands makes it easier to see the relationship, and possible tensions, between individual and collective responsibility. This is why reliance on a top-down policy drive alone can lack cohesion and, therefore, be resource hungry, for all parties involved.
saos news and views The Co-op Sustainability Advantage In any team sport, good players will receive criticism if they are not performing to the expected standard but, equally, an excellent team can be made to look ordinary if they do not all play to their strengths and work in harmony. Both the team and individual, therefore, have an obligation. So, how do you help individual players fight for the team? A co-op is a group of individuals with a common challenge or goal, who recognise that they can achieve more together than they could individually. Their focus may relate to market access, risk management, buying power, efficiency, data management, knowledge, land management and an increasing number of factors. Co-ops can create coherence and stability, ‘collective agency’, due to their shared values and purpose, and inter-dependent nature. Consequently, co-ops have the added value in reacting through proactive unity for collective benefit. The alternative involves individuals interpreting and reacting to enforced supply chain or government policy. “What can we do and how can we make the most of it?” Rather than “How little can we do to abide by the rules?” It is the value in the solutionsfocused willpower of a co-ordinated group. Nothing is perfect, but a producer co-operative is built on trust, reputation, shared agency and loyalty, through a common challenge. Design responsibility and positive outcomes Good co-operative governance is required to ensure mutual control and engagement to preserve a strong level of commitment for collective advantage to maintain momentum and achieve the required goal - such as getting the crowdsurfer to the bar in the original analogy. Farming is a long-term business of seasonal cycles and marginal gains; the group must take responsibility and ownership themselves if the momentum is to last. Hopefully this identifies how nurturing shared responsibility, through the proven rural development tool of producer cooperatives, is the link between top-down policy aspiration, and grass roots, co-ordinated, implementation: where pragmatic solutions can be applied at individual farm level to support efficient production, whilst collectively delivering towards national targets. Where the onus is on the collective, stakeholders and individuals, to drive solutions matching potential on-farm and broader sustainability goals. SAOS are impartial co-operation specialists, supporting Scotland’s highly regarded producer co-ops and helping develop new co-operative opportunities, please do get in touch if we can help you - robert.logan@saos.coop
Highland Good Food Partnership Collaboration Explores CEA Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) - encompassing vertical farms, glasshouses and polytunnels - is expanding globally, driven by technological advances, food security concerns, diet and climate emergency. It has the potential to extend the season of food production by a few months or even year-round. To date, most CEA has taken place in large greenhouse structures. More recently, vertical farms, often relying fully on artificial light, have expanded CEA, particularly in urban areas. Developments in polytunnel design suggest CEA operations are also feasible in these types of structures. The Highland Good Food Partnership is looking at the opportunity driven by increasing interest to build a stronger, larger local food community. They have access to a plentiful supply of clean fresh water and an expanding quantity of
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renewable energy. Other key factors to consider include: • Markets, crops, margins, and profitability • Growing structures encompassing; glasshouses, polytunnels or a hybrid model • Site issues encompassing levels of sunlight, sources of (renewable) energy, water and other issues such as average windspeed and snowfall • Environmental management infrastructure, encompassing; polyethene/glass, light, heat, ventilation, water and automation • Other inputs ie labour, distribution, and administration Join the webinar event on 14th June at 7pm to find out more! Sign up at: https://bit.ly/3GBaeAZ.
The Knowledge Bank Heads Into its Second Year
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SAOS’s Amanda Brown, Project Director for The Knowledge Bank, updates on progress and new developments: In the 12 months since we launched The Knowledge Bank, I have been delighted with the positive reaction we’ve had from across Scotland’s food and drink sector. There’s still a lot of work to do and businesses to engage with, but we’re hoping this will continue as we enter year two. The food and drink sector is still feeling the pinch of the pandemic but our insights have already helped businesses across the food and drink sector to evolve. This is the first time that we’ve launched a service like this in Scotland, with the scale and capacity to lead the way for Scotland’s food and drink sector using market insights. We believe that businesses need to be market and consumer driven, but we’re aware that many don’t have the resources or expertise in house to undertake research. Our insights can help, and The Knowledge Bank has a range of resources that can be accessed for free by all kinds of food and drink businesses based in Scotland. We set this up with a clear goal – to create a central point for anyone involved in the food and drink industry in Scotland to have access to a range of reports, events and bespoke market and industry insight to help grow their businesses. These insights are helping food and drink businesses build resilience, grow sustainably, create new products, build distribution, as well as differentiating their offering in markets. Understanding consumer trends and the opportunities that are out there is essential for success. During the last 12 months, we’ve worked with a variety of intelligence and research partners to commission research to benefit Scottish companies. We’ve shared these insights through webinars and in-person events. We’ll continue to build on all of this as we enter year two, and we’ll shortly be launching our new website, offering access to a bank of information. The Knowledge Bank has been made possible with funding that we received from the Food and Drink Recovery Plan funded by The Scottish Government and executed by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership. If you’re part of the food and drink supply chain in Scotland and interested in gaining access to the wealth of data we have available, email us at info@theknowledgebank.scot.
Businesses and Sectors Helped by ‘Future Fit’ Approach
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SAOS’s Future Fit Supply Chains project is helping ensure that Scotland’s agri-food supply chains are equipped with the capability and capacity to respond to challenges, and to exploit emerging market opportunities in a planned, profitable and collaborative way, while minimising impact on the planet. The work has several key elements, the approach we are taking is to: • Map supply chains by sector to identify key issues and opportunities for longer term resilience, sustainability and profitability •
Consult with key industry experts to ensure the maps reflect the true state of the supply chain from the various perspectives within each sector
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Establish any actions or collaborations already underway to increase the resilience and sustainability of the sector
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Understand and share lessons learnt across sectors that support resilience, sustainability and profitability
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Agree a plan of action to take forward where specific issues can be addressed through the Future Fit Supply Chain initiative and other resources.
Rona Sutherland, SAOS’s Supply Chain Development Manager, explains: “The team has now mapped 22 supply chains in consultation with industry, and developed a summary Supply Chain Analysis document to highlight gaps in key areas such as infrastructure, production and processing, automation and data, people and skills, science, technology and ancillary services.” The work is playing a crucial role in helping to inform the refresh of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Ambition 2030 strategy and providing specialist input to Scottish Government’s Food Security and Supply Taskforce. Rona added: “Now that the underpinning work is complete, we are moving into the practical phase of discussing with industry sectors how we can help them to tackle the key issues that have been identified as impacting on their supply chain sustainability and resilience over the short, medium and longer terms.”
Long Serving Staff Recognised at East of Scotland Farmers
co-ops news
Long service awards were recently presented to two members of staff at East of Scotland Farmers Ltd. Mark Anton (Grain Plant Team Leader) joined the co-operative in August 1987 and Robert Lawson (Retail Manager) joined in June 1991. They received their awards for 34 and 30 years of service respectively. The awards are produced by the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland and recipients receive a framed certificate and a medal. https://rhass.org.uk/awards-and-grants/rhass-long-service-awards/ Mark and Robert (Rab) received their awards at a staff meal at the Red House Hotel in Coupar Angus in March from Peter A A Grewar (EOSF Chairman) and Robin Barron (EOSF General Manager). Longevity of service is a trademark of the EOSF business and Mark and Rab are only the latest to reach the 30 year milestone, but are the first to receive the RHASS awards. “We thank them for their years of commitment, hard work and friendship,” said Robin Barron, “and we look forward to working with them for many more years to come.” L to R: Robin Barron, Mark Anton, Robert Lawson and Peter Grewar Also marked was the retirement of Stewart Peebles who stood down last year after serving as Company Accountant for 28 years from the co-op, which was formed in 1959. East of Scotland Farmers’ core business is drying, storing and marketing grain from its farmer members. It also supplies fertiliser, seed and plant protection products to them and has a thriving Country Store supplying thousands of different products to farmers and the local community.
Changes at the top for ANM Following Another Successful Year ANM Group published its Annual Report in April, for the year to 31st December 2021, posting a trading profit of £659,000. There was an overall increase in balance sheet value by £3.5m to £26.7m, and auction operations posted a further rise of 10.3% in throughput, to almost £131m. Group chairman, Peter Watson, who retired from his role at the AGM, welcomed the results: ”To generate a trading surplus of £659,000 against a very uncertain backdrop gives the group confidence to look to the future, knowing we can continue to deliver for our members in even the most challenging of circumstances. “I am delighted to be handing on the baton with the group in such a promising position – as a friend, member and customer of the business, I will look forward to further progress in the future.” CEO, Grant Rogerson, said the total value of members’ investment in ANM had been maintained at £7m and members had saved £370,000 in reduced shareholder commission rates. His report continued: “Our continued and relentless innovation – alongside investment in our people, technology, and infrastructure – are yielding returns in the present, but also preparing us for the future.” Looking forward, Mr Rogerson said: “Our co-operative structure means that the trading surplus this year will go straight into investing in the business, yielding returns in the present, but also preparing us for the future.” Retiring Chairman, Peter Watson, said: “It has been a privilege to serve on the board and to be Chairman of ANM for the last five years. I believe now is the right time for me to stand aside and ensure new talent has the opportunity to come forward. Over the years of my board service, we have faced and dealt with many challenges, but the experience has been one which I have hugely enjoyed. With the Group
in such a strong position to develop exciting plans and given the focus of our ambitious and very able Executive Team and board, the future looks bright. I’d like to thank Vice Chairman Mike Macaulay for his support over the years and wish the board good fortune going forward. I look forward to continuing to support the Group in the future and will continue to be a regular mart attender!” Three new non-executive directors have been co-opted to the board and, in addition to the Chairman, another of the longstanding board Directors, Tom Johnston, stepped down. The new board members bring a wealth of industry and commercial experience to support the Group’s ambitious growth plans. Ian Sim, who runs a successful livestock operation, buying store cattle regularly through the Group said: “I am honoured to be joining the board of ANM at such an exciting time when the Group is delivering strong performance for its members and customers.” Keith Walker, former RNAS President and well-known figure in the agricultural industry works on his own arable unit alongside the family business of G & B Walker. He also runs a successful children’s nursery business with his wife and has property interests, letting office and commercial space. Mark Gall has held senior leadership roles in Corporate and Commercial Banking in the North of Scotland for RBS, leading teams in Aberdeen, Inverness, and Dundee. Grant Rogerson, added: “I want to thank Pete and Tom for their support and counsel over the years. They leave with the Group in a very positive position, with a strong diverse team and a robust and ambitious strategy, and I am very optimistic about the future. Our new Non-Executive director appointments, drawing on their diversified experiences, will make a great contribution to the business at a time of opportunity and growth for the Group.”
SAVE THE DATE! SAOS Conference 2023 Thursday 26th January Back at Dunblane.
Supply Chains
Working together to shape the future of farming and food.
If you’ve any suggestions for future SAOS Updates, or you no longer wish to receive it, please contact: jennifer.thompson@saos.coop
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