WELL, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has stepped up to the plate and served up a £200million 'goody bag' loan to help stave off the hardship caused by ScotGov's malfunctioning computer system.

Whether the industry should thank The SF columnist Jim Walker, NFU Scotland, opposition MSPs, a group of elderly farming ladies or even the Moderator of the kirk (see Evergreen page 11) is a point which will continue to be debated.

The money is most welcome nevertheless. The FM's announcement did, however, take much of the sting out of the union's planned rally at Holyrood on Thursday of this week which quickly changed focus to centre on the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary elections on May 5.

Certainly, it would have been most churlish of NFU Scotland not to continue with a golden opportunity for opposition MSPs to have a penalty kick at the only open goal they will ever get against an administration which is set for a landslide victory on the first Thursday in May.

It is to be hoped that these 'bandwagon jumpers' are as vocal in their support for Scottish agriculture come May 6, assuming of course they are still in gainful employment!

Meanwhile, tenant farmers have once again played a blinder through the STFA's reaction to the announcement. With the SNP set to be in power for the foreseeable future, the tenants' response will undoubtedly reap its own rewards!

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