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Union’s policy blueprint unveiled to farmers at Thainstone

COUNTRY MATTERS: Union leaders discuss the proposed policy with members in Inverurie to find the best way forward.

North-east farmers have given union leaders the thumbs up to lobby Holyrood and Westminster with their detailed vision forĀ a new Scottish agricultural policy.

NFUS president Martin Kennedy outlined the blueprint the union believes could form the basis of a new scheme which is expected to come into force in 2025 when he spoke to members at roadshow meetings in Perth and Inverurie .

The policy, which was first mooted last year, includes a proposal for support for active farmers and crofters to be ā€œre-coupledā€ with area-based payments to ensure the industry retains a critical mass and puts food production ā€œfront and centreā€ ahead of all other priorities.

Martin Kennedy is heading up an NFU Scotland roadshow.

The document envisagesĀ  three tiers of support.

The first is an underpinning ā€œstabilityā€ payment which would be worth 50% of income, with other support split between ā€œconditionalityā€ ā€“ non-competitive payments for measures taken to tackle climate change, biodiversityĀ  and efficiency, for instance ā€“ and. thirdly. ā€œadditionalityā€ payments which would be competitive for those who wanted to go ā€œabove and beyondā€ into projects such as peatland restoration or forestry.

However, while the union may have the full backing of the farmers who have attended the Thainstone meeting, farmers at the Perth event expressed concern that the government might not agree to the proposals and no alternative plan has been forthcoming.

Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon will consult on a future farm policy for Scotland.

Even if the unionā€™s proposal wins a mandate from members, NFUS will still need to convinceĀ the Scottish Government and persuade Westminster to pay for it.

Addressing farmers at Thainstone, Mr Kennedy said the union was determined Scottish producers would not be subjected to the ā€œcar crashā€Ā  policy agreed south of the border, and while the Scottish Government has committed to 50% of total support to Scottish farming going in direct payments in future, he admitted he was having difficulty getting Treasury officials to understand the different approaches the devolved governments are taking.

ā€œThis is a defining moment for Scottish agriculture,ā€ he said.

ā€œWe must use all our influence now, in the lead up to the Scottish Governmentā€™s Agriculture Bill in 2023.

ā€œWe wonā€™t get everything we want, we know that, but unless weā€™re trying to steer it , itā€™ll be an even greater challenge.ā€

More than 100 farmers attended the Perth meeting. The regionā€™s chair, Caroline Miller, said: ā€œThere was broadly support and recognition that the union has done a lot of work, but frustration and concern from members that the government is not being equally proactive.ā€