Welcome to the new NFU Scotland President’s Blog.  Jim McLaren, your President, will be writing an online diary to keep you updated on all the events and news within his working life and to let you know what he, and NFU Scotland, are doing on your behalf.

We hope that you enjoy learning more about the life and thoughts of the NFU Scotland President!

Please feel free to comment on Jim’s blog by emailing us at blog@nfus.org.uk.

1 July 2008

It’s hard to believe that half the year has already gone. As the eternal optimist that I am, I prefer to think of half the year to come!

And in some ways it is the best half, with the prospect of harvest and the autumn livestock sales to bring in some much needed cash flow. Those of you who are ordering and paying for fertiliser will know all about cash flow.

It flows in one direction very fast.

The “allocation” system for the fertiliser this year has completely turned around, and instead of merchants encouraging early delivery with deferred payments, they are only offering stepped deliveries with incremental price increases month on month. The manufacturers and importers are driving this change, and I for one don’t like it!

The Highland Show provided a welcome distraction from the day to day problems, but also served as sharp reminder of the price increases on machinery and inputs. The machinery dealers had a great show as far as I could see, with some sold out of popular lines and others quoting delivery times well into 2009. The industry needs all these guys to “have a turn” as well, but some of the price increases in tractors and combines particularly were hard to reconcile.

The show provided a great spectacle and shop window for our Scottish industry and with the turnout being only a few hundred short of the Ingliston site all time record, the aisles were certainly heaving.

I wonder if the same will be said of The Royal Show at Stoneleigh this week?

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