New rules threaten whole industry

HAROLD Wilson, in his time as prime minister in the 1960s, once famously remarked that a week is a long time in the political world. Dairy farmers have been through purgatory and worse over the past ten years: ex-farm milk prices are now making a few of them smile, and little wonder with Robert Wiseman Dairies having increased their price by 37 per cent since January. That change in fortunes was much in evidence yesterday at Ingliston's AgriScot.

Traditionally this is principally a dairy event where the best cattle in the UK are in competition for the top awards. However, the decision was taken some weeks ago, in the wake of concerns of foot-and-mouth disease and latterly bluetongue, that it would be prudent not to have any live animals present. That made no difference to the attendance and farmers from hundreds of miles made the effort to come to the event.

The politics of the industry were the focus, with Richard Lochhead, the cabinet secretary for rural affairs, putting himself once again in the front line during a seminar. As The Scotsman has reported several times over the last few weeks, it was inevitable that the topic of nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) and the likely cost to farmers in terms of extra storage capacity for slurry was the issue of the day.