CONCERNS have been expressed by one of the region’s MSPs about recommendation by the Climate Change Committee to cut dairy and beef cattle numbers in order to meet net zero targets.
And Galloway and West Dumfries’ Finlay Carson sought assurances in Holyrood from the Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon on the issue.
He said: “The Scottish beef industry with the support of organisations like Quality Meat Scotland, delivers the highest standards in production, and animal welfare resulting in the very highest quality beef – all that with Scotland’s carbon footprint for beef production significantly below the global average.
“Last month the Climate Change Committee spelt out their belief that Scotland would need to slash dairy and beef numbers by 29 and 26 per cent respectively to meet the net zero targets.”
He asked the Cabinet Secretary to rule out any cut to red meat production, and give assurances that she has a practical and achievable plan to meet the legal climate change targets and protect livestock farming in Scotland.
And he added: “The SNP are being driven even more extreme by the Greens and the future of Scotland’s agricultural policy is still very much up in the air.
“We need the Scottish Government to put food production and agriculture at the heart of all future legislation first and I will continue to push for this at the Scottish Government.”
