The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society is in turmoil again with the sudden resignation of its president and the absence for the past few weeks of the society’s chief executive.
The society has confirmed that David Ismail from Fordel, at Glenfarg in Perthshire, who was elected president earlier this year, has been replaced in the meantime by the society’s immediate past president, Northern Ireland breeder Alan Cheney from Trillick, Co. Tyrone.
Mr Ismail, who has served on the society’s council for 12 years and is one of Scotland’s biggest Aberdeen-Angus breeders, said he had resigned “because of my inability to work with the chief executive, Barrie Turner”.
Rumours about the troubled society have been circulating for several days and Mr Turner has been unavailable for comment.
The society’s website now carries the following message: “It is with great regret that the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society announces the resignation of David Ismail as president.
“We wish him well going forward.
“In light of this, Alan Cheney, the immediate past president has been co-opted to the presidential team and will serve until our annual general meeting in February.
Should members have any queries, please contact your local council member.”
The society was unable to provide any further detail.
In recent years the society also had to deal with a police investigation into financial matters.
Six months after Mr Turner’s appointment as chief executive in 2018 he said “the ship is steadying and the waters are calming”.
At the time he added the society’s main focus for the months ahead was developing and fine-tuning a sire verification scheme to ensure any beef marketed as Aberdeen-Angus has come from Aberdeen- Angus cattle.