Companies involved in the Beef Efficiency Scheme: FOI release
- Published
- 29 January 2018
- Directorate
- Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
- Topic
- Farming and rural, Public sector
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
FOI reference: FOI/17/03065
Date received: 20 December 2017
Date responded: 19 January 2018
Information requested
Your request
You asked for a breakdown of the different private companies who are getting paid by the Scottish Government to facilitate the Beef Efficiency Scheme? Specifically asking for:
- How much Egenes are getting paid for their work on the scheme?
- How much are Allflex tag manufacturers being paid to provide the tags?
- How much are the lab getting paid for handling the tissue samples and testing them to provide information?
- Are there any other companies who are paid through this scheme other than farmers? If so, how much do they get and who are they?
Response
The answer to your questions are:
1. Egenes do not carry out any work for the Beef Efficiency Scheme.
Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) receives funding for research to support the development and delivery of BES through the Strategic Research Portfolio in Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment (2016-2021). Information on the Portfolio is available here http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Research/About/EBAR/StrategicResearch/strategicresearch2016-21.
The livestock research is mainly situated in the 'Productive and Sustainable Land Management and Rural Economies' Theme, available here http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Research/About/EBAR/StrategicResearch/strategicresearch2016-21/srp2016-21/viableruralcommunities.
Funding is provided to SRUC to deliver livestock genetic improvement research and development as part of the Strategic Research Portfolio on an on-going basis and Egenes do not receive any funding through the Strategic Research Portfolio for beef cattle genetics.
2. Allflex Europe (UK) Ltd. are not paid directly by the Scottish Government for the provision of tissue tags. They are subcontractors of Neogen Europe Ltd., of the payments made to Neogen Europe Ltd. to date £25K has been for the provision of tissue tags.
3. Neogen Europe Ltd. has received £610K to date (including the £25K noted on the line above) for the provision of tissue tags and carrying out genotyping.
4. Other companies paid by the Scottish Government to assist with the operation of the scheme are as follows:
| Company | For | Payments to date |
|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Energy & Environment | Provision of advisory services including Carbon Audits | £184K |
| Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd. | Research, Development and Maintenance of the Beef Efficiency Scheme Database and provision of a helpline to support participants use of the database | £534K |
The provision of these services are essential to delivering the aims and objectives of the scheme. It will take time to gather sufficient genotypic information to start providing detailed genetic feedback on individual herds, however, Carbon Audits have now been delivered to over 770 participants with 80% stating they found the experience of benefit.
Over the lifetime of the scheme our current forecast is that c.75% of the expected spend on the scheme will go direct to farmers.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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