NFU Scotland's president has told policy makers to 'take their head out of the sand' to ensure the viability of Scottish agriculture as it has 'never been under so much pressure'.
Delivering his first address to the union's annual conference since being elected in February 2021, Martin Kennedy warned that farmers and crofters were facing 'crippling' input costs and labour shortages.
Producers in Scotland were also facing pressures to reach net zero, he said, as well as 'unscrutinised' trade deals and uncertainty around future policy and support.
He warned the sector was dealing with 'countless' other concerns such as slurry storage rules, land reform, rural crime, species management and largescale forestry expansion.
In his speech, the Highland farmer highlighted the strength of NFU Scotland and how its lobbying powers had never been more needed, claiming that poor decisions were being taken within both UK and Scottish governments.
Saying ‘one size does not fit all’, he pleaded for ministers to ‘take their head out of the sand’ and reassured members that “our voice needs to be heard not only because it’s in our best interest but it’s also in the best interest of our consumers and our economy.”
To tackle these key challenges, Mr Kennedy explained that the union was focusing its lobbying efforts on eight strategic priorities: future support, rural economy, optimal land use, climate change, public engagement, effective conservation, fairer supply chains and better regulation.
He accepted that the landscape – both on the ground and politically - could change quickly in agriculture, so these goals could shift and adapt to current situations.
Mr Kennedy said: “At every opportunity what we must do is highlight the true value of domestic food and drink production in terms of health, climate change, the environment and the economy."
In an impassioned address, he covered the labour crisis and steps in place to encourage a full work force, good education and employment opportunities.
He called for global collaboration within the beef sector to ensure methane emissions were measured consistently using GWP* rather than 'out-of-date' GWP100.
The NFU Scotland president also used his annual conference address to reflect on the crisis the Scottish pig sector was currently experiencing.
Concluding his speech, he said: “In Scotland, we have a fantastic opportunity to create a future policy and support structure that focuses on the positives of what we are providing.
"However, we also have to be mindful that we have an Internal Market Act and a Subsidy Control Bill that may limit what we need to do to fit Scotland’s needs.
"Focusing on active agriculture is absolutely vital if we are to keep the critical mass that underpins the wider economy that relies on farming and crofting."
