The president of NFU Scotland has said 2014 will be a pivotal year in deciding the future shape of the nation’s agricultural sector.
Nigel Miller said with Common Agricultural Policy reforms to be implemented, a new rural development policy to be created and a review of agricultural holdings legislation covering farm tenancies it would be an interesting year.
Especially as it was all taking place against the backdrop of the referendum on Scottish independence in September.
Mr Miller said the union would also continue pushing in 2014 for the nation’s less-favoured area scheme to be brought up to date through a rebasing exercise to remove those recipients no longer eligible but who continue to receive aid because of what they did previously, as well as add new entrants and others who have changed their farming activities.
It too would be pressing for changes to the nitrate vulnerable zone regions and for changes to them to reflect the drop in nitrate levels in ground and surface waters.
Implementing the Cap to run from 2015 and making sure it fitted Scottish circumstances would be a big job, particularly in defining the regions on which the new area-based payments would be made.
Meeting the requirements of Europe’s greening agenda for Cap – and on which 30% of future basic subsidy payments will depend on – was a national horror story, Mr Miller said.
While the demands for grassland were no longer a major issue, the arable sector was not so fortunate and still faced real issues in complying with the rules for crop diversification, albeit spring and winter varieties of the same crops are now treated two as opposed to just one.
Mr Miller said another key element would be in ensuring only active farmers receive aid in the new Cap. A meaningful activity barrier had to be created to avoid millions of acres of unproductive upland ground potentially qualifying for assistance in the new area-based regime and sucking millions of pounds in support away from productive regions.
“In the public eye it is unacceptable for support to go to inactive land”, said Mr Miller, who renewed the demand for a minimum stocking density criteria to apply to all rough grazing and for that system to be flexible enough to recognise legitimate claims from those farmers whose extensive livestock operations fail to meet those demands.
Mr Miller again reiterated the need for all new and developing farming businesses to be brought fully into the Cap support system from January 1, 2015, to end current injustices. He also highlighted the need for the LFA regime to be rebased so that those eligible can receive support and those who no longer meet its demands are taken out.
The union will over the coming months be using its regional secretaries to gather evidence on the numbers of legitimate farmers locked out of LFA and who would benefit.
Mr Miller criticised the suggested forestry focus of the new Scottish rural development plan to help the Scottish Government meet climate change targets.
He said it did not look sensible and that other options had to be considered, which delivered for the wider food and drink sectors too.
He maintained there were ways of including agriculture in the plan and directing aid at farmers to help the government meet its climate change targets.
Mr Miller said the review of holdings legislation also offered opportunities, but would almost certainly result in new legislation. The process was, however, more significant than any new law created from it.
He added: “It has the potential to change operating standards over much of Scotland’s farmed area and will determine the opportunities for our new generations as well as defining the potential growth of existing businesses. It is important we use this opportunity to move Scotland into a more positive era.”