More than 60 Aberdeen-Angus breeders from the Continent will be arriving in Perth later this week for the 6th European Aberdeen-Angus Forum.

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The Forum is being hosted by the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society and will be chaired by the Society’s president, Colin Davidson, Skaill, Sandwick, Orkney. Visitors will be present from the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Austria and the Irish Republic as well as the UK.

Official delegates will be attending a technical meeting of the European Aberdeen-Angus Secretariat in the Centenary Suite at McDiarmid Park on Friday (February 1) followed by a Civic Reception in Perth Concert Hall where they will be welcomed by the Provost of Perthshire, (John Hulbert), who will officially open the Forum.

Speakers will include Philip Halhead, Norbreck Genetics Ltd, who will be discussing export protocols, Nigel Otter of Merial Animal Health, who will make a presentation on genetic marker technology, and the Society’s immediate past-president, Nigel Hammill, who will update delegates on the situation with bluetongue disease in the UK.

A herd tour has been organised on Saturday with visits to the Netherton herd of W and D McLaren at Blackford, Auchterarder, the Kincardine Castle herd of Robert McNeil at Millhill, Auchterarder, and the Moncur herd of G C Taylor (Farms) Ltd at Moncur, Inchture. The official Forum dinner will be held in the Royal George Hotel on Saturday night.

Sunday is a free day, although most visitors are expected to visit Perth Agricultural Centre to view the Aberdeen-Angus bulls, and on Monday and Tuesday they will be attending the famous Perth bull sales which have attracted an entry of 241 bulls and 63 females.

The show takes place on Monday, commencing at 8.30am, and the judge is Aberdeen-Angus and Beef Shorthorn breeder, Donald Biggar, Chapelton, Castle Douglas, chairman of Quality Meat Scotland. The sale of females is scheduled for 3.00pm with the sale of bulls taking place on Tuesday commencing at 11.00am.

Delegates will also be attending the Society’s annual dinner and presentation of trophies in the Salutation Hotel on Monday night.

“This is the first time the Society has hosted the European Forum and we are delighted to welcome such a large gathering of European breeders,” said the Society’s chief executive, Ron McHattie.

“The Aberdeen-Angus breed is going from strength to strength throughout Europe and the Forum provides the ideal opportunity for breeders from different countries to share their experiences and discuss subjects of mutual interest.”

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