Uncertainty is stifling the agricultural industry and farmers have to fight for the sector in a way they have never done before.
That was the message from NFU Scotland (NFUS) president, Andrew McCornick, while officially opening yesterday’s Highland Sheep event in Caithness.
The biennial event, organised by the Scottish branch of the National Sheep Association (NSA), was held at the Sutherland family’s Sibmister Farm, near Thurso.
Farmers and crofters from across Scotland flocked to Sibmister to listen to industry leaders and see first-hand how one exemplary family farm is embracing new technologies and systems.
“We cannot be allowing ourselves to be sucked into this polarisation our industry is being pushed into,” said Mr McCornick, who farms a beef and sheep unit near Lochfoot, Dumfries.
“There are polarised views both in Westminster and Scotland but we need to focus on what we want regardless of the politics so we can move forward and get some form of consensus.”
Mr McCornick also pointed out the other challenges the industry is being faced with.
“They (politicians) can’t keep throwing rules and regulations at us – we can definitely be part of the solution but they’ve got to give us the deals to do that,” he added.
“Apparently, we are in a climate change emergency but how can they call it an emergency when we look back over the last 100 years and see what our predecessors have come through? These people have come through wars, depressions, weather and disease events.
“As NFUS president, I’m a lobbyist and I’m working with politicians all the time.
“Every single one of them in both parliaments are promising us jam tomorrow but if they’re not very careful, there is going to be no bread to put that jam on.”