EDWARD MOUNTAIN: Challenges remain for Caithness farmers who need clarity
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Holyrood Notebook by Edward Mountain
The month of July has a special place in the hearts of our farming communities as they take a pause between the sowing season of spring and the harvest to come in late summer.
Despite the breathing space, this remains a busy period, with many taking a few precious days away from the farm and de-camping to various county shows across the Highlands.
These are hugely important events as our farmers showcase the rural way of life and thousands upon thousands of visitors get the chance to see and sample the best local produce.
The county shows in Caithness and Sutherland in particular are important occasions for everyone in the rural sector to meet up again and reflect on the past year in farming.
Farmers are resilient by nature, but the industry continues to face an extremely challenging period.
As a farmer myself, I understand the tough realities of Scottish agriculture and how difficult it can be to turn a profit for our high-quality produce.
This has not been made any easier by the global cost-of-energy crisis, which comes as a result of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The cost of fuel, fertiliser and feed remain stubbornly high, and the global agriculture market is still adjusting to the shockwaves of this war.
The stark reality is that Scottish farming is not immune from the impact of this conflict and, until Putin is defeated, the sector will continue to be vulnerable to volatile pricing.
However, this doesn’t mean the Scottish Government is powerless and cannot act now to secure the long-term viability of the industry.
Farmers cannot afford more years of dither and delay on the delivery of a new agriculture policy.
While the SNP-Green government must lay their new policy before parliament no later than the December 31, 2024, there is no good reason why the delivery of a policy could not have been accelerated.
Had the Scottish Government heeded my calls and taken the opportunity to deliver their farming vision in 2022, then our farmers would have a measure of stability they desperately lack at the moment.
Instead, the farming sector has been left in the dark. We still don’t know how much funding will be made available or whether the Scottish Government will ringfence it. We still don’t know whether all farms will be able to apply for all agricultural schemes and what the conditions of those schemes will be.
For a sector that plans five to 10 years ahead, the lack of clarity is placing farmers in an impossible position. I know many farmers who are investing in change more by guesswork than by design because they don’t know what the long-term vision for Scottish agriculture is.
This is no way to treat an industry that made sure food production never halted during the pandemic and which has a world-class reputation for its high-quality Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb.
Our farming industry deserves better, and I will continue to hold the SNP-Green government accountable at every opportunity.
- Edward Mountain is a Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
