Scotland’s Brexit future still lost in impenetrable fog
It had been a hard day and the last thing I remember before I dozed off was watching the weather forecast. Soon I was dreaming that there was someone droning on about there being dense impenetrable fog over Scotland while it was gradually clearing elsewhere and through the mist there was a fair idea of the agricultural policy to come in the post CAP Brexit world.
I was no longer watching what weather might be in store in the days to come but instead there was a plan showing where, if and how support money might go into the rural economy.
The person doing the explanation started off with the big picture showing floods of food potentially coming from all parts of the world in a world free or tariffs and trade barriers. I think they do this warning of future disasters hovering on the horizon to grab your attention but then his pointy stick pointed to Europe. He stated “Big Phil” by whom I suspect he meant Phil Hogan, the Agricultural Commissioner in Europe had just laid out his plans for the next CAP. All the current ingredients were in the mix designed to take a supported EU agriculture well into the 2020s.
Thus those who till the soil and mind the livestock on mainland Europe will continue to get single farm payments, greening, cross compliance and rural development dosh.
He called his proposals the “next Common Agricultural Policy” but then underminedthe‘common’ by saying member states could have more autonomy thus making it more “uncommon.” The consequences of the UK leaving
0 The fog is gradually clearing for farmers in England Europe were ignored by Hogan who has always been a committed European. The question is how he finances his CAP if this country is no longer contributing? A question made more relevant with his promise to spend more money on promoting food produced in the EU.
The man with the pointy stick impersonating a weather forecaster moved to the UK and said the dominating future feature would be a country wide scheme based on improving the environment.
Speaking at a recent Tenant Farmers’ meeting, UK Minister George Eustice had made it clear that a new type of agri-enviroment scheme would be the centrepiece of farm support in future.
With incentives to encourage farmers to improve soil health, fertility and husbandry and rewards for higher livestock welfare and reduced antibiotic use, it would be an opt-in scheme rather than being compulsory.
Another crucial detail for English farmers looking at this forward plan is that there will be a transitional period of up to five years from the current support scheme, the look alike pundit with the pointy stick commented. English farmers looking ahead are already polishing up their green credentials.
But when the forecaster’s stick targeted Scotland, he confessed it was, in farm policy terms, just an impenetrable fog with no direction from government. He admitted there had been valiant attempts by organisations such as NFUS to create policies for the future but with no government framework on which to attach them, they have ended up as no more than wish lists.
Two of the many groups set up to guide the Ministerial mind have also reported. Both the Scottish Government’s Agricultural Champions and the National Council of Agricultural Advisers have been strong on analysing the problems facing the industry and also hinting at where possible solutions might lie but neither have offered farmers any future policy solutions.
Despite being questioned by MSPS last week, the Scottish Government Minister stuck to his line that until he knew the financial allocation emerging from Westminster, he could not contemplate discussing policy.
So while farmers in other countries can see farm policies on the horizon and plan accordingly, in Scotland all we seem to have is recourse to Robert Burns who after ploughing up the mouse’s nest confided in the creature
“Still, thou art blest, compared wi’ me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e’e, On prospects drear! An’ forward, tho’ I canna see,
I guess an’ fear!”