Farming Leader

The NFUS Scottish Farming Leader is a leading agricultural publication which is sent out to all our members every month.  It provides information on current agricultural issues and NFUS activity.  This includes environmental, legal and taxation issues, as well as sector information such as crops, crofting, dairy, livestock, LFA, pigs and poultry.  The cover story from the latest edition of the Scottish Farming Leader is below.

Brian Pack and the Future of the Single Farm Payment

To quote Brian Pack himself, ‘the baby is born’. He was of course referring to the publication of his much-anticipated interim report into the future of agricultural support in Scotland. And if the debate around the future of Single Farm Payment (SFP) wasn't intense already, it certainly is now with town halls and venues packed out with farmers wanting to hear from the man himself on the thinking behind the report and to air their views.

Inside you’ll find a summary of the report, as well as a summary list of questions that Brian and his inquiry team need help to answer. The list of questions is only short, designed by NFUS to identify the big issues. However, for those of you that have more time to think about the many complex elements exposed by the report, there is a full list of questions available on the website.

However much time you can devote to thinking about this subject, I would urge every you to devote half an hour to read the 60 page interim report. It sets out the global, European and Scottish context for this debate, before analysing what Scotland could do in the short term and long term.

**HEALTH WARNING! Not surprisingly, the report has already evoked much passion and indeed some concern in sectors which, at first glance, like being at the raw end of the redistribution of support as we move from the current historic system to a flatter, area-based regime. The health warning is that this is just an interim report.  Brian Pack has been crystal clear that minds are open on all subjects.  He describes the report as an ‘Aunt Sally’ to be shot at if necessary. 

The only hard and fast recommendation is that there should no major change in Scotland’s SFP system until EU Ministers agree the next regime. In reality, that probably means major change from 2014.  But beyond that, everything is up for grabs. So if you see something in the report that you don’t like, don’t get angry, get motivated to come up with an alternative or at least feed your concerns in to NFUS so we can make your voice heard.

That is why we need engagement from all members in this debate. NFUS started this debate over three years ago with its Board looking as possible future models. We have also been round the country last year to canvass further views, which have already been fed into the Pack Inquiry.

But, in many ways the real work starts now. The interim report is a starter for ten and we need to work tirelessly to ensure the final report, and the ultimately the negotiating position taken by the Scottish government over the next three years of EU lobbying, protects the future of the industry here in Scotland.  It’s a complex subject, with friction, trade-offs and ultimately, opportunity. So, time to start reading!

Please contact us with any comments you have on the Scottish Farming Leader, or if you have had difficulties receiving your edition by post.