Ten weeks after being set up, advice group still not held talks

Some ten weeks after the Scottish Government announced the form ation of a National Council of Rural Advisers ( NCRA) to advise on farm policy, it turns out there has been no formal meeting of the group.

A government spokesperson confirmed that the group, along with Women in Agriculture and the Fruit and Vegetable Leadership Group, will not meet until mid- September.

While there has been engagement with members over the summer in preparation of these meetings, no formal discussions are known to have taken place.

In making the announcement about th eN C RA at the Highland Show, rural economy minister Fergus Ewing said it would provide advice on farm policy and, in response to a query at the time, this would include farm policy after Brexit.

Despite the clock ticking towards the March 2019 deadline, no meeting has taken place and no agenda has, it is believed, been issued for such a meeting.

However, more progress appears to being made with the four Agricultural Champions who were appointed in January by the Scottish Government.

The four are former banker Henry Graham, who was giventhee ducation and training portfolio; for me rNFUSp resident John Kin naird,w ho was asked to provide information on sustainability; Archie Gibson, the chair of the Scottish Food and Drink Federation, who was asked to look after thatsector; and Marion Mccormick, Aldi’s buying director, whose remit was public value.

It is believed they are pulling their separate recommendations together with a view to publishing a joint paper in October.