Can-do attitude will see agricultural sector thrive

Ongoing supply of enthusiastic, knowledgeable new entrants is all that’s needed, says Alan Laidlaw

With 16,000 members, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) is a leading organisation within the rural sector in Scotland and represents a huge range of farming and rural business, in terms of size, structure and success.

For all these members, I believe the current political climate is an ideal time to reflect and assess the future options for their businesses.

Know what you want from your business and then be ready to make informed decisionson how to move forward. Change is inevitable, and although we are not in a position to know all the details, it’s a fair assumption a change to the support system will occur. Traditional agricultural support payments will undoubtedly change and those that adapt, innovate and manage efficient enterprises have an incredibly positive future.

Expectations of farming enterprises and rural businesseswill change, andi believe any future financial support will have more emphasis on health and social benefits, landscape management or the marketing of high quality food – so into new territory.

It is the responsibility of each and every business to assess how their business can grow and succeed, and look for support wherever available. This shouldn’t be a concern; by identifying how your business can thrive, you will have new opportunities.

Look at your skill set, your asset base and the market demand for your product and consider your options. There are many rural businesses that now add value to their productsand maybe that’ s an option for you. If not, maybe you need to look at how you can produce more efficiently and ensure a return on investment. Regardless of who you sell to, its more vital than ever you understand what your customers want and produce it.

Having lived across the UK, what stands out in Scotland is the incredible ability of the people to think outside the box. Maybe it’s due to the geographical challenges, but I continue to be amazed with how determined business owners are to succeed. If we don’t have local markets we make sure we get to them. The recent success of export sales from Scotland illustrates this – we are a nation of do-ers and that stands us in good stead for the post-brexit future.

As well as a strong belief that educating consumers is the responsibility of everyone, I have been witness to how rewarding it can be to get a chance to meet the next generation, engage with them and interact with them about how and why you manage your business as you do. for the kids, it can be truly life-changing and inspire them into a career in the rural sector. If you are in any doubt and have a rural business, I would strongly recommend hosting a Royal Highland Education Trust event.

This is key to the success of our industry – a continued supply of enthusiastic, committed and knowledgeable new entrants to continue growing our industry.

I have experience of seeing young scholars from RHASS and new start-ups at the Royal Highland Show, which gives me great confidence in the future. I also see the breadth of career opportunities available. The food industry, as an example, has 27,000 job openings predicted in the sector over the next 10 years. This illustrates the significant number and variety of career options for young people who are passionate about rural Scotland.

I would encourage any young person to look at all their options, try different things, call, email or Linkedin industry leaders to ask for advice, contact your local RHASS director and speak to a whole host of associations such as the SAYFC that can all help you with your options.

There are so many career choices within the sector. I am extremely proud to support rural businesses while being actively involved in agriculture and although I do not farm myself, I feel I am in a position to add value to the industry which I am so passionate about. I want to encourage anyone with energy, passion with fresh ideas to engage and step forward. Alan Laidlaw, Chief Executive, Royal highland and agricultural Society of Scotland