SELLING THE positives of the farming industry was a key talking point of this year’s Agri and Rural Affairs conference, as delegates discussed how they can better engage with members of the public and promote agriculture as a fantastic career route.

Around 90 delegates from Stranraer to Shetland, gathered on Ingliston showground on Friday, December 3, for two days of panels, farm visits, breakout sessions and talks, culminating in a special Black Tie Ball on the Saturday evening.

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As the political arm of SAYFC, delegates had future Ag policy firmly on their minds and interest piqued in discussions over the unregulated market for carbon credits and the impact this is having on the price of land and preventing young entrants in gaining access to the industry. Young farmers openly shared concerns about the current problems facing the sector in terms of lack of labour and how this could impact on their ability to produce quality produce, but also how they can look to remain competitive in the face of new trade deals with cheaper imports on the horizon. They heard that farming has been driven in to a state of stagnation under the CAP and were told that farmers will need to innovate and change in order to survive as policy direction moves towards rewarding farmers for delivering on public goods.

The weekend activities began on Friday evening with a delicious dinner at Craigie’s Farm in Queensferry, followed by a thought-provoking panel session on ‘Selling Scottish Produce’.

The Scottish Farmer:

(l-r) John Sinclair of Craigie's Farm, Aldi's Alan Leslie, Agri and Rural Affairs chair Alistair Brunton and Scotland Food and Drink's John Davidson

Delegates heard from Craigie’s owner John Sinclair about rising consumer interest in knowing where their food comes from, but he said that the demand for the likes of farm shops are driven by the experience on offer to the public.

“Customers are most interested in the experience of having a day in the countryside, our produce is a by-product of that experience. It is so important for farmers to innovate and look at the different ways in which we can make money from what we are doing by listening to what the consumer wants.”

Fellow panellist Alan Leslie, who is the buying director of meat for Aldi in Scotland, offered a retail perspective: “Think about who is your target customer and get to know your buyer. Shout about what you have on offer and remember that assurance schemes mean a lot to both retailers and customers.”

Kinross JAC’s David Black queried the panel on the difficulties of adding value to produce when there are issues with food poverty. “It is great to be promoting Scottish produce and exploring how we can add value to it, but at the end of the day there are people in this country struggling to put food on their table.

“If everyone here starts trying to achieve the highest value, then we risk pushing each other out of the same market. Do you see a problem with that? And how do we compete with produce coming in from abroad at much cheaper prices?”

Alan argued that there needs to be more collaboration along the supply chain but didn’t think farmers should be concerned about consumers buying overseas produce.

“It is all about working closely together and I passionately believe that the days of transactional bartering between producers, processors and retailers will come to an end. I believe in nothing more than genuine cost of production models – that is how I see industry going over the next couple of years.

“Demand is there for Scottish produce, it is about making sure the supply chain is economically stable for all parties and provided we work together and get that right on the ground we shouldn’t be too concerned (about food imports).”

Scotland Food and Drink export specialist John Davidson was also on the panel and called for a debate on the price of food: “What we do know is that food prices in the UK are some of the cheapest in the world which might be good for consumers but what does that mean for producers? As costs rise and competition is so fierce, margins get squeezed. There is going to be inflation, but I think the debate around food prices in the UK has to come, and it has to centred around what does that mean for money back down to farms, it will be a difficult debate but it has to be had.”

John argued that farmers need to stand up for themselves more: “Farmers cannot be used as the answer for food poverty by subsidising food,” he said. “This is something that must be better addressed by the government.”

It was a dreich start to the day on Saturday morning as delegates split up in to three groups and headed off on farm tours. The SF took part in the trip to Easter Bavelaw Farm in Balerno, nestled in the Peatland Hills Regional Park, to hear about how they have integrated forestry into their farming operation.

Delegates met with farmer Graham Barr, Virginia Harden Scott from Scottish Forestry and Mark Hamilton – a private consultant for forestry.

They were given a tour of the farm to see where trees have been planted and a discussion ensued around the steps involved in putting in an application, initial surveys, planting and maintenance.

Graham and his wife Becci took over the hill farm in 2016 where together they rear Blackface sheep and in the last few years have planted 90,000 trees over 40 hectares as part of a forestry scheme – 60% of plantings comprise of sitka spruce, alongside pockets of native broad leaf trees to provide nature corridors.

Planting trees has secured short and long-term diversified income for the farm as well as providing future benefits such as creating shelter for livestock, habitats for wildlife and capturing and storing carbon.

“We have fairly rough hill ground here and from a sheep perspective, with roughly one Blackie an acre, we were aware of the economic implications of that being slim pickings,” Graham told the group. “We also have a tourist path running through the valley at the back of the farm which had endless problems with dogs attacking sheep, so we thought it was a good solution to erect a deer fence along there and to take that whole section out and plant it with trees.”

Virginia pointed out that too often the debate around trees is viewed as at the expense of farming and advocated for integrating farming and forestry in order to optimise business efficiency and to help a wider green economic recovery.

“Smaller woodland owners, farmers and crofters accounted for almost 200 of the 320 woodland-creation schemes approved under the Forestry Grant Scheme in 2021,” she said. “In Central Scotland the average size of a new woodland was around 25 hectares.”

The Scottish Government has committed to planting 18,000 hectares of trees per annum by 2025 and to incentivise planting is offering grants of up to £6,210 per hectare, she explained, adding that additional money for fencing, protection and a five-year maintenance payment is available to help fully stablish the woodland.

The Scottish Farmer:

Graham and Becci Barr have planted 90,000 trees over 40 hectares as part of a forestry scheme – 60% of plantings comprise of sitka spruce, pictured here

“At the time we applied we qualified for the Central Scotland Green Network supplement which was a £2500 an acre uplift and that was on top of a regular tree planting grant - it was a no brainer,” Graham continued, advising anyone looking at exploring woodland creation to check Scottish Forestry maps to see where they fall on the map to qualify for additional support.

Mr Hamilton, who helped Graham with his woodland application, interjected that anyone looking at woodland creation should look at it as a long-term commitment and investment not just as an opportunity to make money off grants. He added that Graham had instantly increased the capital value of his ground with 25 hectares of sitka spruce as a very marketable crop if he were to decide to sell that land.

Discussion moved on to the concerns from the group around the unregulated market of carbon credits and the buying up of productive land for planting trees.

Virginia warned that selling carbon rights as Pending Issuance Units, locks farmers into a contract to deliver on that carbon in the future which might mean an initial cash injection but could penalise farmers if they suffer any catastrophic losses and are still liable to deliver that carbon.

Graham added: “From a farm business perspective, you have to be careful not to sell off all your carbon credits that you might then need to make your business carbon neutral in the future.”

Mark said that there is guidance for planting on productive agricultural land and limits, which if hit, will lead to applications being put out for consultation before further progressing. “This would include an Agricultural Impact Assessment looking at things like what would be the impact on employment, stock numbers, grant subsidies etc,” he explained.

Agri and Rural Affairs chairman Alistair Brunton shared his concerns: “Over in Fife, Forestry and Land Scotland oversee a couple of start-up farms, but there are concerns that they are now being taken back in hand to plant trees. It is difficult for the industry to watch as young people are struggling to access land, and they simply can’t compete. It is equally frustrating to see companies like BrewDog buying up 2000 acres of land in Loch Lomond to plant trees, so their bar in Vegas can be labelled carbon negative.”

Virginia re-iterated that Scottish Forestry are trying to promote the integration of forestry with farming, not wholesale conversion of farms to forestry: “The Forestry Grant Scheme is accessible to all landowners, whether they wish to proceed to planting is their own decision, equally if farmers are looking to retire and exit farming, forestry is one of the options that may be available to them.”

Over in Galashiels, the Logan family welcomed another group of delegates on to their farm. West Agri and Rural Affairs chair John McCulloch reported on the visit: “At Pirntaton Farm we were shown round by Jim Logan who was open and honest about things on the farm which work well and things they have had to change. We saw the sheep system and how hybrid vigour is being encouraged through crossing in order to get the best from the land."

The Scottish Farmer:

Host farmer Jim Logan gave young farmers a tour round Pirntaton Farm, Galashields

"We were also shown the deer on the hill and the re-introduction of the pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd which will be focussed on much more moderate sized cows to suit the system at Pirntaton. The whole trip was very informative and gave a lot of members food for thought and ideas about things they can implement on their own farms at home!”

The final visit of the morning took place in Broxburn, courtesy of the Dandie family at Learielaw Farm. Agri and Rural Affairs vice chair Amy Jo Reid commented on the trip: “The visit to Learielaw Farm with the Dandie Family was really interesting, informative and inspiring. The attention to detail and their passion were evident. David Dandie was very honest and open, which the young farmers found really engaging and got a lot out of the visit. The cattle were looking tremendous and it was a really impressive farm to tour round.”

The Scottish Farmer:

Farmer David Dandie showing delegates round one of his cattle sheds at Learielaw Farm

 

After the morning farm tours finished, delegates returned to Ingliston for lunch, and all gathered in the main board room to hear from Head of SAC Consulting Andrew Lacey.

Sharing his thoughts on future agricultural policy travel, he criticised the Common Agricultural Policy for incentivising farming to stand still for many years: “CAP gave no incentive to innovate or change. It has driven a dormant industry and now we are looking at shaking that off.”

He added that England and Wales might be getting flack for their recent pilots but said that at least they were trying new policies.

“We (Scotland)are at the other end here. Stability is the goal which might have been a good shout during the pandemic, but if we are too stable for too long, we might be late to the party. We need to get on with our own pilots, be specific about our own geography and systems, and embrace the complexity that is what makes farming different, don’t deny it exists.”

His advice to delegates was to ‘get outside farming’ and to learn from other businesses and bring those skills back – to move beyond the echo chamber of the industry.

“Go and think about how to do things differently. Every other industry in the world does this and that is how they survive.”

On another note, he pleaded with delegates not to sell their carbon credits cheaply as hedge fund managers come knocking at their doors.

“You have this huge, huge asset - your ability to put carbon away, sell it, sit on it, gamble it, it is second to none, but please don’t give it away cheaply. We want to make sure farmers understand what carbon they have or start doing more to accrue more of it. As carbon goes up in value please don’t miss out on future opportunities by selling it too quickly.”

There was plenty more opportunity for delegates to discuss carbon during the breakout sessions that afternoon with one of the three sessions focusing on SAC Consulting’s carbon foot printing tool – AgreCalc.

Lower Nithsdale YFC’s Ben McClymont queried whether the science had caught up yet to accurately capture grassland sequestration. “We are told that trees can sequester carbon but with grassland, is the science there to quantify and prove that it is sequestering carbon,” he asked?

“The science is there but it is very uncertain, and it varies a lot depending on the soil type you are on and where you are in the world,” said Anna Sellars from SAC Consulting. “Our model can estimate how much carbon your land is sequestering but there is so much uncertainty around numbers, which is why lots of money is going into tree planting, as you can account for the carbon.”

She explained that it a common misconception that any grassland in any state is sequestering carbon: “If you have land that has been managed in the same way for 50 years it might be in carbon balance, but it won’t be sequestering anymore.”

Two other sessions that delegates could attend included one with Moredun where delegates heard about the rising concerns around vector-borne diseases with temperatures increasing due to climate change. They were told that losses associated with disease cost the UK £1bn a year and that 75% of emerging infectious diseases had an animal origin - with Lee Innes from Moredun highlighting the importance of a one health approach to controlling disease and also the need to reduce anti-microbial resistance moving forward for both animals and humans, touting the organisation’s phrase of ‘test, don’t guess’ when it comes to treating livestock.

The third session of the day was on agritourism, led by Scottish Agritourism’s sector lead, Caroline Millar. She told delegates that through exploring agritourism on their farm they had the potential to support the incomes of multiple family members.

“Agritourism has the potential to grow farming businesses and give a young person or couple coming home a decent salary, and the opportunity to take on responsibilities within the business or to create a new but related farming business,” said Caroline.

 

The recently announced agritourism strategy should help new entrants into the sector but she pointed out that demand is for food and drink experiences and farm tour experiences, so encouraged delegates to focus on these areas.

Rounding off proceedings ahead of that evening’s Five Star Awards, delegates gathered for the final panel session,which heard from QMS’ Alex Ritchie, RHET’s Christine Brown and The SF’s Claire Taylor with the theme of ‘Selling Scotland’.

Educating young people on food and farming was a popular topic of conversation, centring mostly around the need to get teachers on board to ensure that a visit from a RHET volunteer or a class with ‘Facetime a Farmer’ isn’t just a one-off experience, but that the important messages they hear are integrated into their learning experience moving forward.

Christine explained that the information given to schools has to tie in with the curriculum: “Unless subject matter is in the curriculum, a teacher will not deliver it, so we need to be really clear that what we are talking about is linking into a curriculum for excellence.”

Panel chair and NFUS chair for Dumfries and Galloway, Colin Ferguson, interjected that in discussions around teaching others about food and farming, there is a need to change the tone that is used in those conversations: “We need to move away from saying ‘we need to educate the public’, it is not on them to be educated. They need to want to learn,” he said.

The Scottish Farmer:

Agri and rural affairs chair Alistair Brunton with panelists Claire Taylor from the SF, panel chair and NFUS' Colin Ferguson, QMS' Alex Ritchie and RHET's Christine Brown

Heather Murray from Lower Nithsdale YFC asked the panel how we can sell farming better as a career. “Every farmer seems to be looking for farm workers, we can’t even get folk to come in and do a few hours, how are we going to continue offering high quality produce if we can’t get staff?”

Alex replied that targeting the Developing the Young Workforce groups in schools would be a really good place to start: “They are the new version of career teachers in schools, and we need to be having conversations with them. For too long careers in agriculture have been viewed as a poor option, we need to change this perception and educate the career influencers to value a career in farming, so this information is then trickled down to pupils.”

Christine added that one of the problems is that there is a pull to university careers where SRUC is often not seen as a first option: “Young people often see a career which is probably better paid, less work and hours, so they will be pulled towards it, but there is no difference in the quality of degree which students are coming out with.”

Colin concluded the session by saying that there is not a profession at university that cannot be turned to a career in agriculture and reiterated the point that it has to come down to professionalism and that it was time to start paying better as an industry.

Reflecting on the weekend, Agri and Rural Affairs chair, Alistair Brunton said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the success of this year’s conference. We had a diverse line up of speakers, from not just agriculture but also the food, education and tourism sectors. It was great to see so many new faces along this year, and all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the weekend. I’d like to thank my committee for all the work they have put in this year, without them this weekend wouldn’t have been the success it was. The key messages throughout the weekend were that, in order to attract people and investment into agriculture we have to make it appealing, therefore we must continue to sell our positive story!”