ARABLE farmers caught between the weather-driven rush to complete the harvest, and a transportation logjam, were offered some relief this week as Scottish Quality Cereals granted a derogation allowing harvested grains to sit an extra month in temporary grain stores.

SQC executive director Alistair Ewan said that, following requests from producers and NFU Scotland, a derogation had been granted by the assurance body which would allow growers to store crops in qualifying temporary facilities until the end of November, rather than having to move them by the end of October.

“With the challenging weather conditions prevailing over the harvest period and no clear indication of conditions improving we turned the request for additional time around in twelve hours to grant the extension,” he said, adding that there was no need for producers to apply individually as the derogation would be extended automatically.

Earlier in the week, NFUS combinable crops chairman Ian Sands, who farms at Balbeggie near Perth, said: “There has been a long-standing reduction in hauliers and vehicles suitable to haul grain. Demand for haulage is high and delays at the processors means fewer loads of grain can be shifted per day. Rejections at intake, and grain being returned to farm, exacerbates the pressure on haulage and hauliers.”

Responding, Martin Reid of the Road Haulage Association said that he was not aware of anyone leaving the grain haulage sector, but conceded that the pinch between weather and delays at processors had made this season ‘more of a mad panic’ than usual.

“It is hauliers’ harvest too – I know we have members who have taken on extra drivers and added extra shifts to help clear this backlog,” said Mr Reid.