Members of the north-east farming community descended on Holyrood today to lobby MSPs for a transition period when moving to area-based payments under the new Common Agricultural Policy (Cap).
The group, which was led by NFU Scotland’s north-east regional manager Lorna Paterson and regional board chairman Roddy Catto, met with MSPs to express concern over the consequences of an overnight switch to area-based payments.
This week the union threatened to withdraw its support from farm minister Richard Lochhead if he failed to deliver the right outcome under the new Cap.
The farming body has called for a transitional period when moving from historic to area-based payments, and a three-region system with the rough grazing region split in two.
The north-east delegation said the MSPs they had met – Alex Fergusson, Alex Johnstone, Tavish Scott and Alison McInnes – had all pledged to write to Mr Lochhead pushing for “action on getting the transition right and a solution to split the rough grazing region”.
They said they had also presented the MSPs with letters of concern from agricultural businesses in the area, warning an immediate switch to area-based payments would have a “huge knock-on effect” on local supply trade such as auctioneers, abattoirs and machinery businesses.
Mr Catto – a dairy farmer at Hillhead of Muirton, Whitecairns, near Aberdeen – said: “Whilst we realise that this intervention will come very late in the day for Mr Lochhead’s implementation decision, it is essential that we get the finer points right.
“The decisions to be taken on how the Cap is implemented in Scotland are important not just for farmers but for everyone in the food and drinks industry. There are massive opportunities for the food and drink sector but only if we get the architecture of the Cap correct.”