Blog Summer recess for Scottish Parliament is well and truly over with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon mapping out a legislative programme that has much for rural Scotland and our agricultural and food sectors to get their teeth into.For the wider rural community, the First Minister prioritised digital connectivity and we await further detail on the delivery plan. Our members around the country are all too aware that rural Scotland has been left woefully behind the central belt when it comes to digital delivery.
07/09/2016
Blog There has to be new thinking on the way ahead in renewables sector.With the reducing value of Feed In Tariffs (FITs), the Westminster Government has given a clear steer that it no longer intends to support this industry to the same extent.In addition to this, pre-accreditation to protect the longer application process projects is no longer available. This challenges potential developments where there needs to be a larger amount of outlay with no protection on the possible return.
29/08/2016
Blog Not for the first time, I look across at France and wish our Governments would undertake some of the actions that the French are prepared to do to back their farmers and their food industry. The French Government has shown some mettle and are going to force companies to introduce mandatory country of origin labelling for milk and meat in processed foods.
09/08/2016
Blog Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister in a speech on Monday 25 July outlined the key interests she believes must be protected in attempting to secure Scotland's position in Europe. Amongst the points she said was that "safeguarding free movement of labour, access to a single market of 500 million people and the funding that our farmers depend on" are key issues that need to be protected in attempting to secure Scotland’s position in Europe. These points align nicely with the commitments we set out for government to take forward as a result of the Bre
26/07/2016
Blog They say a week is a long time in politics. At present, the political picture seems to be shifting by the hour.
12/07/2016
Blog A week on from the UK vote to leave the EU and what has happened? David Cameron is stepping down as prime minister. A new Conservative leader and prime minister is expected to be elected by 9 September. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under huge pressure from within his party to consider his position but he has insisted he will not step down. Scotland’s first minister has been in Brussels for a series of talks with senior EU officials, after pledging to protect Scotland's interests in Europe.
01/07/2016
Blog Today you might have been one of the many who had a near miss while working on your farm or croft. Most farmers and crofters if being honest will be able to recall an incident that so nearly resulted in them having a serious accident. But for 80 men, women and children they weren’t as fortunate as it wasn’t a near miss they had. In the last 10 years, 80 people have lost their lives on Scottish farms. Everyone wants to return home to their family at the end of a hard working day. No-one sets out with the intention of having an accident but it can hap
30/06/2016
Blog After a night of twists and turns, the result is final. The UK has voted to leave the European Union, by a slim majority of 52% to 48%. Turnout was 72%. Of course, this doesn't mean we have awoken today as an independent UK. Rather, the result now symbolises a mandate given to the Prime Minister to trigger Article 50 of the European Union, where a Member State will negotiate the terms of its exit.
24/06/2016
Blog Last Monday I was watching the One Show on BBC One when presenter Matt Baker made a passionate plea that we, as a nation, should value milk more than we do. He stated that milk should not be cheaper than water.Of course Matt Baker is from a farming family, and as a past chairman of the English & Welsh Young Farmers, he knows the impact that the downturn in commodity markets is having on many hard working farming families across the UK.
14/06/2016
Blog Scotland’s Beef Efficiency Scheme (BES) has been launched into a difficult farming environment where most businesses have been drained by the combined weight of weather, failing markets and the uncertainties of a new CAP support framework.With applications to the scheme closing on 15 June, that overload of economic and bureaucratic pressure is not a good seed bed for new initiatives or schemes!
08/06/2016