Industry should not reject trend to organic farming, warns agent

While the growing trend for health foods, together with a closer focus on environmental issues post-brexit, could see more Scottish farmers turning to organic and alternative production, a careful control of costs and a more innovative approach will be a key requirement across the industry.

Recently returned from a visit to the United States, land agent Malcolm Taylor said Scotland’s farmers needed to make sure they abandoned the “it’s aye been done that way” approach and said they should question not only what they did but also why they did it.

Stating that converting to organic production was only one of a number of approaches which might be considered, he said: “There is no secret that organic farming is not for everybody, but with Brexit uncertainty, budget cuts and pressure on inputs, there might be an opportunity for increased organic production.”

Taylor who heads up the land management section at Bell Ingram, said that a tightening of water quality regulations could lead to a reduction in fertiliser and sprays anyway.

But he emphasised that while a number of options might be open for producers in the future – such as more free-range poultry and pigs, GM crops and minimum tillage for crops – cost control was going to be ever more important post-brexit.

“What is clear is that we can’t do something simply because it’s always been done that way,” said Taylor