A NORTH-EAST MP has called for action from the Scottish Government to address problems in the farming sector caused, she claimed, by its national wage-setting body, the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Angus Conservative MP Kirstene Hair has written to Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing regarding the status of the SAWB after farmers in her constituency expressed concern that the minimum wage it has set – higher than the average for other sectors – is preventing young people from gaining experience in the industry.

Ms Hair noted that the National Farmers Union Scotland has campaigned for several years on the issue and has argued that there is no need for a separate minimum wage for farmers – and that the AWB has been disbanded in the rest of the UK, leaving Scottish farmers at a competitive disadvantage.

“This is an important issue for my constituency," said Ms Hair. "I have been approached by farmers who feel that, due to the higher wages required by the AWB, they feel it is a better use of their limited resources to employ more experienced workers.

“That is understandable, but it means that younger farmers who are still learning are missing out. That could then mean that some are missing out on an opportunity to get into farming at a time when we need to do all we can to encourage new entrants.

“We now have a situation where the wage level imposed by the AWB is higher than that required by any other business paying the national minimum wage," she said. "That cannot be right, and it needs to be addressed urgently. I hope that the Cabinet Secretary will take this seriously and respond positively in due course.”