A well-known Scottish sheep farmer is calling on his farming peers to help encourage consumers to view Scotch Lamb as a must-have product in their shopping baskets.
George Milne, who previously worked as the National Sheep Association’s Scottish development officer, says the industry must rally together to encourage consumers to include home-produced Scotch Lamb in their regular diet.
“Lamb is an unsung hero of Scottish produce and, by being at the forefront of showcasing its versatility and fantastic taste, we can promote to the public the time and dedication we, as farmers, put in to rearing an animal to some of the highest welfare and environmental standards in the world,” said Mr Milne, who sits on the board of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) which oversees and runs the Scotch Lamb brand.
“Consumers should be proud of Scottish agriculture and the farmers that produce their food.”
He encouraged farmers to try to get closer to the consumer and said sharing their stories on social media and making use of QMS marketing material would help.
“Although the ordinary face-to-face methods of interaction – such as farm visits – are not available to us right now, we can use this opportunity to take a step back to take a few steps forward when it comes to educating and building trust with consumers,” added Mr Milne.
He said a growing interest in people cooking at home presented the ideal opportunity for farmers to encourage consumers to give Scotch Lamb a try.
“We are producing a high-quality product and there are a number of ways that we can help drive a positive relationship built on mutual trust and respect,” added Mr Milne.
“It can be as simple as submitting your favourite lamb recipe to your local newspaper, sharing information about how it is reared on social media, or sharing and supporting content from QMS.”