FARMERS are being hindered by the Scottish Government’s failure to listen properly to the views of the agricultural sector, according to MSP Finlay Carson.
He believes the lack of clarity being provided on future farming policy is seriously affecting the industry.
The Galloway and West Dumfries MSP this week said: “There is concern that future agricultural policy must be clear enough that we don’t not need a consultant at every farmer’s kitchen table to work their way through it, or to ensure that we are doing the right thing and maximising the benefits to the environment and helping our business.
“The Government’s failure to introduce adequate schemes and to promote them sufficiently is, indeed embarrassing, but the one word that is repeatedly stated to be missing from the policy is ‘outcomes’.
“The Government has completely failed to let farmers know what the outcomes and expectations of the national test programme are to be. The desired outcomes are so far under-fined, which is totally unacceptable this late in the game.”
Speaking at a debate in Holyrood on the government’s agriculture route map, Mr Carson also warned that if future policy for Scottish agriculture is wrong, the industry will head in a “ backward direction.”
He added: “The Government has still not released the details of the consultation that it has held on the proposed agriculture bill. The cabinet secretary said the results will be available later in the spring, but every month that we wait is another month lost.
“The route map is clearly too little, too late, but it did not have to be that way. As well as the hugely helpful and deliverable actions highlighted in Farming for 1.5C report, there is a whole list of interventions that we could been making two years ago.
“We have a climate friendly scheme for suckler beef, which was created in 2021 by the farmer-led groups that were established to develop advice and proposals to the Scottish Government on cutting emissions and tackling climate change.
“However those have been sidelined by the Government. What a missed opportunity.
“We should have grasped that with both hands. Regrettably, and to the detriment of our farmers and the environment, the SNP Government has been too slow in preparing our future agricultural system.”
