Buitelaar opened their first Scottish Calf Collection Centre in Castle Douglas at the backend of 2020 and have since seen the unique facility for Scottish dairy farmers, grow from “strength to strength.”

The demand for calves is currently high, and the Scottish Centre will complement Buitelaar’s other collection centres. The Scottish Calf Collection Centre, based at farmer-owned Wallet’s Mart, Castle Douglas is headed up by Buitelaar representative, Liz Hoggarth and a team of six.

Currently open every fortnight, the Centre runs on alternate Mondays, although the plan is to open on a weekly basis. Liz explains “When we opened, we initially were receiving about 30 calves every fortnight, but the word about the Centre has got out and we are currently receiving in the region of 200-250 calves from over 30 farms in the area. Our forward plan is to receive more than 300 calves a week. Our calves are sourced from Buitelaar approved dairy farms and assessed on their standards of early-stage calf-rearing, health recording and housing”, Liz adds.

This attention to detail was recognised by Compassion in World Farming in 2020, when it awarded “The Good Calf Award” to Morrison’s /Buitelaar supply chain. Buitelaar recently expanded the Morrison’s Dairy Beef Scheme into South West Scotland.