Ministers from both UK and Scottish Governments to address event in Dunfermline

The food security crisis and future agricultural policy will be top of the agenda when NFU Scotland stages its annual autumn conference in Dunfermline on 27 October.

The annual event, being staged at the Carnegie Conference Centre will be addressed by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland, David Duguid MP and the Scottish Government Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Mairi McAllan MSP.

To set the scene, the crisis currently facing Scottish farmers and crofters will be mapped out by members representing the Union’s commodity committees - Robert Thomson (poultry), Ian Brown (horticulture), Hugh Fraser (livestock), Jamie Wyllie (pigs), Gary Mitchell (dairy) and Amy Geddes (combinable crops).

Looking at the impact of the food security crisis and unprecedented increases in input prices on the wider supply chain, the conference will also hear from Robert Sheasby, Chief Executive of the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), the trade association representing £8 billion’s worth of business within the agrisupply industry including animal feed; crop protection and agronomy; fertilisers; grain; oilseed and seed.

The hybrid event will allow members to attend in person or participate live online.  Sessions will be recorded and made available following the event.  The event opens with registration at 8.45am and closes at 1.15pm.  Members wishing to register for in person or online attendance can go to: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NFUSAutumnConferenceRegistration

The conference will be held ahead of NFU Scotland’s #FoodNeedsdAFarmer rally being staged at Holyrood on Wednesday 2 November.  More details at: https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/news/foodneedsafarmer-scottish-farmers-and-crofts-to-rally-at-holyrood

Notes to Editors

• NFU Scotland’s Annual Autumn Conference and Council Meeting will be held on Thursday 27 October at Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline.  The event will start at 9.25am, with registration from 8.45am. It will conclude at 1.15pm with lunch, serving local Scottish produce.
  
  
  • 8.45am Registration with tea/coffee on arrival
  • 9.25am Welcome Address – Scott Walker, NFU Scotland Chief Executive 
  • 9.30am Highlighting the Crisis Faced by Scottish Agriculture – a session chaired by Vice President Andrew Connon with NFUS representatives from key commodity committees.
  • 10.45am Building Resilience in Scottish Agriculture – a session chaired by Vice President Robin Traquair with Robert Sheasby - Chief Executive AIC 
  • 11.30am - David Duguid MP - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Scotland Office (chaired by Robin Traquair)
  • 12.15pm - Mairi McAllan MSP - Minister for Environment and Land Reform (chaired by President Martin Kennedy)
  • 1.00pm Closing Remarks – Scott Walker 
  • 1.15pm Close & Lunch 
• Media wishing to attend the autumn conference can contact media@nfus.org.uk

Ends

Contact Bob Carruth on 07788 927675