Ayrshire

Christine Cuthbertson

Well, here we are in 2019, and what a winding road we have ahead of us! The farming life is never a straight forward one, but you can sure that NFU Scotland Ayrshire Region is always by your side to help and support you.

This year has seen the launch of our NFUS Family Membership This means that everyone from the wife, husband, business partners and children can make the most of the benefits of being a member of the union – from attending meetings, receiving information by email and text, to being invited to events and giving their views and opinions. And of course, they can benefit from the many member discounts NFUS has with over 30 partners. You can call 0131 472 4000 to amend your membership 0131 472 4000 or at our website https://www.nfus.org.uk/join-nfus.aspx.

In Ayrshire, 2019 will see the establishment of a real grass roots partnership groupto tackle and raise awareness of rural crime in our farming communities and will be formally launched at Ayr Show. We are also involved in starting up a social group for older farming folk, to help them stay connected called ‘Still Ploughing On!’

The skills and labour shortage in farming is a real priority for us too and I will be leading on the first steps to creating a farmer driven Rural Training Academy to deliver practical skills and other training as required by farming families, be that tractor maintenance, to advanced welding, social media training right through to softer skills such as how to manage staff and record keeping.

As a region with a strong dairy focus, I am delighted that this year we will be incorporating the Scottish Dairy Hub into our organisation, lead my Stuart Martin. This is a free-to-use, confidential, reliable, reactive service that helps dairy farmers to resolve any queries they might have about their farm, their business and the wider market for milk and dairy.

Remember that I am on hand to help with any farming conundrum you may have, so please don’t be stuck – pick up the phone or email me, no matter how small or large your problem may be.

So, it’s all go in 2019, and your involvement with NFU Scotland has never been more important and you support is always greatly appreciated!

Christine Cuthbertson
07775 838926
christine.cuthbertson@nfus.org.uk