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Sandy Thomson

of Westpark Farm, by Aberfeldy

Highland Perthshire Branch of the National Farmers Union of Scotland, led by branch President Jane Anderson, met with MP Pete Wishart and MSP John Swinney at Rotmell farm on Friday 2 June to raise a number of issues which are worrying farmers at present.  A total of 10 branch members, along with the MPs spent the first part of the visit on a farm tour, ably guided by Alistair and Andrew Brewster. 

Looking across to Dalguise from Rotmell gave us the opportunity to view the flood banks which protect the flat fields beside the River Tay from flooding.  We made the point that farmers and landowners have to maintain and repair these flood defences out of their own pockets. 

In a lot of cases the flood banks protect land as well as neighbouring properties, roads and railway lines.  Numerous flood bank breaches in the last few years have put immense financial pressure on many businesses, and matters are not helped by new laws enforced by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) which requires materials stored on farms for repairing floodbanks to be licensed, the minimum charge being £148. In a lot of cases suitable material will be available from building works going on somewhere nearby and recycling this material to repair flood banks saves it filling up landfill sites, but having to pay for a licence to do so adds to an already expensive process.

Costs of Compliance

Another issue concerning farmers across the country is the ever-increasing amount of rules and regulations.  No one enjoys form filling at the best of times.  Scottish movement forms contain all the relevant information and are done on A5 paper.  The English version of the same document with the same information is done on A4 paper, so any cross-border movement of any animal has to have to different forms, but both with the same information! 

Farmers are also being encouraged to sell direct at farmers markets, over the internet or through farm shops.  Direct selling means that stock will be slaughtered at one of the ever decreasing number of smaller abattoirs.  Meat processing costs have risen approximately 45% in the last 7 years.  Large abattoirs are not interested in killing and butchering small individual lots of animals.  Smaller units are finding it more and more difficult to meet increasing costs of complying with both the UK and the EU regulators.

The tourist industry is playing an increasing role in the economic prosperity of Scotland.  Highland cows and blackface sheep look good on the postcards, but someone has to look after them and maintain the countryside.  As farmers and land managers, we are required to keep farmland in good agricultural and environmental condition – this doesn’t come cheap!  We tried to get over to our MPs that any rural stewardship scheme should be adequately funded. 

At present farmers have to compete against each other on a points basis for a limited pot of money.  Larger farms have the advantage of more features on the farm to claim upon, so many smaller units with very good schemes but not enough qualifying points are unfairly excluded.

After the farm visit, we continued our meeting at the Birnam Institute.  We highlighted the ‘economic footprint’ that a farming unit in Highland Perthshire has.  A wide range of services and supplies are required to run a farm and most of these can be sourced within Perthshire or the surrounding counties.  Feed supply companies, vets, machinery, spare parts companies and various other supply and services businesses all depend upon a prosperous agricultural community to keep them in business.  Besides this economic support to the wider community, the social side of rural life is also very important.  Many rural towns and villages will have their busiest day of the year when the local agricultural show comes to town.

As an NFU branch we are lucky that our MP and MSP will meet with us.  Some of our fellow farmers who are served by ‘urban’ MP’s struggle to get their voices heard.  While we can’t guarantee a sunny day for every visit, both Pete Wishart and John Swinney seemed willing to make getting out to the farm a regular event.

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The NFU Branch Tractor Road Run takes place this year on Sunday 23 July.  Tractors of all ages leave W B Grieve’s yard at 11am.  It is proposed to take the same route as last year, with tractors travelling out through Weem on to Kenmore, through Glen Quaich to Amulree, returning to Aberfeldy in the late afternoon.  Sponsor forms will be going out soon and all money raised will be split between the Royal Highland Educational Trust and the MacMillan Cancer Relief Nurses.

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