NFUS leaders hold talks with rural affairs minister
NFU Scotland’s new leadership team met Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Fergus Ewing last week (Thursday February 23) in Edinburgh.
President Andrew McCornick and vice-presidents Gary Mitchell and Martin Kennedy discussed how to develop policies that leave the farming industry less reliant on support and farmers and crofters more able to earn enough to make their businesses sustainable.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr McCornick said: ‘ We discussed the joint responsibility on government and the union to develop policies that leave the farming industry less reliant on support but which equally ensures that farmers and crofters can earn enough from the market to make their businesses profitable and allow for investment.
‘Brexit gives us the opportunity, for the first time in 40 years, to develop an agricultural poli- cy not based on what is needed to receive support but one that is truly focused on delivering profitable growth through market-led decisions.
‘We need to improve how we sell our produce at home and abroad.
‘We need to ensure key schemes – such as the beef efficiency scheme and the new entrants/ young farmers schemes – really deliver improvements and properly support those who are active.
‘ We need to drive innovation to ensure what we produce remains the best in the world, and we need to encourage collaboration so that farmers, growers and crofters have the market strength to be properly rewarded for their effort.
‘ Working together, the government and the union can get us to a better place where our members can receive a fair share of the rewards in the supply chain and not simply be asked to carry all the risks.’