Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary Rachael Hamilton has said that ”enough is enough” and that the ”dithering and delaying” should have stopped long ago as farmers and crofters continue to be left hanging on a thread with no certainty on future policy.
Her message comes as almost two-thirds of all 555 respondents to NFU Scotland’s (NFUS) 2023 Intentions Survey said that the Scottish Government’s failures of delivering a future agricultural policy was the biggest threat to their businesses.
‘They have had years to outline future policy’
“The SNP-Green government cannot ignore the crystal clear feelings outlined by farmers and crofters in this survey,” said Ms Hamilton.
“Hundreds of them have reiterated that their biggest concern is the continued lack of any detail on what SNP-Green ministers are planning on supporting agriculture going forward.
“This continues to be a total dereliction of duty from the SNP-Green ministers. They have had years to outline future policy, but have completely failed to do so.”
Ms Hamilton said that farmers were currently facing enough challenges without the ever-increasing uncertainty from SNP-Green ministers over future policy being added to it.
“Hundreds of farmers and crofters made their anger known outside Holyrood in November and have repeated that anger through the NFUS’s largest-ever survey response they’ve received,” she added.
“I implore Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon to finally outline what future agricultural policy will look like for Scotland’s hard-pressed farmers and crofters.”
Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, also called for urgent certainty and said that the Scottish Government must accelerate the publication of critical detail on future payments.
“Despite a challenging environment of soaring fuel, feed and fertiliser costs, it is telling that most farmers view the uncertainty over future Scottish Government policy and regulation as the biggest threat facing agricultural businesses,” he said.
“Time and again over recent years, the industry has pleaded with ministers to provide clarity over future policy and support. It was a message that could not have been clearer as farmers and crofters rallied outside Holyrood at the end of last year.
“I know from my discussions with the sector locally that the ongoing information vacuum is eroding confidence and preventing plans being made for the future.
“Scottish ministers must heed this latest warning and come forward with the details that farmers so desperately need.”
Farmers’ sombre mood made clear in survey
The survey also outlined that volatile market prices and the unprecedented spike in input costs were a major risk to businesses, as well as the availability of labour in some sectors, specifically horticulture and intensive livestock and dairy units.
Wider land use policy, consumer attitudes, biosecurity and livestock disease risk also scored highly.
NFUS president, Martin Kennedy, said: “This survey is a robust reflection of the sombre mood of Scotland’s farmers and crofters as we enter an incredibly challenging 2023.
“NFUS has repeatedly called for Scottish Government to put potential ‘enhanced support’ options in the public domain in the wake of its consultation on an Agriculture Bill.
Governenment holding back the industry
“Indeed, had Scottish Government listened to the industry and its own farmer-led groups, we could have introduced some of the measures last year and already be started on our post-Brexit transition away from the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and towards the delivery of what are rapidly becoming increasing demands to address climate and biodiversity targets.
“Instead, politics and bureaucracy within Scottish Government appear to be holding back an industry ready to make a difference.”
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