SEBG News
Mackie delivers farm business vision to diversity seminar
10th February 2006Farmers need to face the world as it is and not as they would like it to be, according to one of Scotland’s leading businessmen.
Dr Maitland Mackie will deliver his vision for the future of farming at a forthcoming seminar on farm business development.
The seminar, to be held in Elgin on Tuesday, 21st February, is one of a series of events being staged jointly by the Scottish Estates Business Group (SEBG) and the Scottish Executive.
Dr Mackie says: “The world of business is an extremely competitive place, no matter what industry you operate in. If we are to prosper, then we must operate our business with a good dose of reality. That means setting our business, long term, to be world competitive, effectively marshalling our resources, managing costs and working together to make sure we’re as competitive as possible.
“Scale, skill and new technology are key components of that approach. Moving some or all of our management and physical resources into other business sectors can also play a useful part in a restructuring process designed to build profitable growing businesses.”
The seminar will be held in the Eight Acres Hotel in Elgin on Tuesday, 21st February at 7.00pm and will be chaired by Sandy Lewis of SEBG. Other speakers will include Andrew Howard of Moray Estates, Morvern Proctor, the SEERAD Area Project Manager for Moray and two farmers who have developed and expanded their businesses.
They are John Alexander, an agricultural contractor from Drybridge, near Buckie, and Jim Williamson, from Williamson’s Machinery Centre, Forgle, Turriff.
Roddy Jackson, SEBG Deputy Chairman, said: “There is an appetite amongst farmers to learn how to develop and diversify their businesses. SEBG has long championed the effort to secure a vibrant agricultural sector in Scotland and believes passionately that rural businesses must actively look for and take advantage of market opportunities. These seminars can assist farmers in achieving that.”
Andrew Howard added: “Moray Estates has, under CAP reform, been able to look at its farming business differently. We’ve refocused our enterprises and also looked at retailing those products. I believe that it is vital that farms can stand on their own two feet with as little subsidy as possible. Farmers need to look at the supply chains that they are part of and look at how they can be a bigger part of it, perhaps by looking at retail options that are attractive to customers.”
For further information contact:
Gordon Robertson at Media House on 0131 555 1015 or
Polly McPherson at SEBG on 07810 891831.
About the Scottish Estates Business Group
SEBG represents a group of progressive land-based estates with significant
agricultural and rural business interests. It aims to promote a modern business
approach in the management of Scotland's land resource in ways which deliver
social, economic and environmental benefits. The Group seeks to secure a
sustainable and prosperous future for rural areas and its members work hard
across Scotland to stimulate enterprise and economic development.
