Obituary: Ellon farming stalwart Allan Smith who fought for the rights of those entering the industry

By Eddie Gillanders

November 23 2022, 11:45 am

Allan Smith among the barley on his farm near Ellon. Image by Kevin Emslie.

The north-east farming community is coming to terms with this loss of one of its own, Allan Smith.

The Ellon farmer, grandfather and chairman of the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland’s north-east branch, died in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on November 11 following a short illness.

Farming family

Alexander Allan Smith was born in 1945 at Nether Balfour, Alford. His family moved to Cairnadailly, Ellon, when he was 12 and he worked on the family farm on leaving school.

Allan built up a substantial beef finishing business specialising in Charolais cross heifers for the Italian market.

Allan Smith, left, showing Euro MP John Purvis around his farm near Ellon in 2002. Picture by Raymond Besant

However, the beef enterprise was hit hard by the BSE crisis of 2001 and Alan chose to de-risk the business by concentrating on his sheep flock. He also let out his steading to the late John Gyle for the finishing of pigs.

An advocate for his industry

Although a “hail-fellow-well-met” character who enjoyed socialising with his farming friends, he was serious about his farming and proud of producing cattle and sheep of the highest quality.

He was always among the first to take up the cudgels if he felt farming was facing an injustice. Allan was at the forefront of protests about fuel prices in the 1990s.

The drive to plant more trees in Scotland was something he also felt hampered the chances for new entrant farmers.

Fuel tax protestors, Allan Smith, far left, Sandy Catto and Alistair Smart, putting their points to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament.

He spoke to the Press and Journal about this. He said: “It’s already impossible for young folk to get a start, and it’s getting harder whether you are in the game or trying to get in.

“How on earth can a young farmer get a start when you look at the price of stock and machinery, and compare it to the grants for trees? It’s all wrong.”

Machinery ring involvement

Allan was actively involved in NFU Scotland. He served as chairman of the north-east region and as a member of the headquarters cereal committee.

This led to him becoming a director of the industry organisation, Scottish Quality Cereals, which sets the standards for the cereals quality assurance scheme.

He was also closely involved in the machinery ring movement as a board member of the Gordon-Buchan ring. This later merged with Mearns and Angus to create the UK’s largest machinery ring, Ringlink Scotland.

Final farewell

Allan is survived by his wife, Jean, and sons, Philip, an agronomist with Pro Cam Agronomy, and Roger, a drilling engineer in the oil industry. He was also proud grandfather to Skye, Lexa, Grant and Adam.