AgriScot 2024: A Trainee’s Perspective on Scottish Agriculture

Hi everyone! My name is Selina and I’m a Trainee from group 56, currently seconded at Morrisons in Aberdeen. Having only started MDS in October, I was keen to get stuck in and attend an industry event; luckily, I was given the opportunity to go to Agriscot 2024!

It was a fantastic way to see how the agricultural sector is moving forward, with a range of exhibitions across the supply chain. From recycled grain feed, all the way to organic, sustainable new recipes with ingredients from local farms. As well as over 140 different stands to explore, Agriscot hosted various seminars and presentations on the future trends of Scottish agriculture, giving me a real insight into what it means for our future.

With the growth of technology, agriculture has also grown from digitalisation. Walking through the stands, it was exciting to see many new innovative advances. This included apps for farmers that eased the care and management of their farms and livestock. During Agriscot, I was also able to witness a variety of competitions, including Silage and Dairy – as someone without an agricultural background, it was fascinating to see how these were judged.

One of the seminars that stood out to me was held by AHDB – Grain Market Outlook. This explored the growth, supply and demand of barley in the UK and Scotland. Fascinatingly, they identified that young people’s behaviours are one of the leading factors in the reduction of retail sales and demand for barley. The demand for non-alcoholic beers and changing diets within this generation have significantly reduced domestic demand. But what was always linked back was the impact of climate change and the importance of sustainability. There is always the opportunity to make a change and do more.

My time at Agriscot24 was eye-opening, helping me to understand the industry I am working in and gathering information on possible future trends. The traceability of knowledge across the food supply chain is incredibly important, and this industry event was a fantastic opportunity to explore that further. I look forward to being able to attend more of these events in the future!