THERE COULD be no livestock industry in Scotland by 2050 if the Scottish Government adopts that date as a target for leading the world by being a zero emission country by that time.

That was the startling revelation dug out by QMS chairman, Jim McLaren and his advisory team, from ScotGov's own published paper on Climate Change which looks to setting a ground zero date for carbon emissions and quoted on the opening day of the Royal Highland Show.

It is a worrying matter for a small country which, in the main, has land only fit for growing grass and for rearing stock – and one in which considerable investment in time and money has been spent creating an industry which is respected across the globe and has been for centuries.

In fact, it is an outrageous suggestion that, in a little more than 30 years from now, livestock will be confined to farm parks and as tourist attractions – but only if the lynx and the wolves don't get them first!

This was no statement plucked from mid-air, nor hidden from view and talked about secretly in the corridors of power. This was put down, in black and white, in a ScotGov consultation document which clearly stated “A nett zero ambition would mean the end of viable livestock farming in Scotland".

So that's it, it would appear that the grand ambition – driven as a flagship policy by none other than ScotGov – to have a £30bn food and drink industry by 2030, will be thwarted by another government flagship ambition that will make more than 50% of agricultural output null and void 20 just years after that.

That is a nightmare scenario that could be so, unless we can up our output of beer and spirits to compensate – but then again, the production of spirit from malting barley can hardly be the greenest thing on the planet either.

Sometimes, you just couldn't make it up.

This show delivers

SO WHAT did the Royal Highland Show do for you?

It could've delivered some silverware, a few rosettes or a nagging ambition to 'do better'. Or even a new tractor or mower?

But what it does deliver for many and especially those in the livestock industry, is a break away from the daily grind, to meet like-minded folk and, this year, to rejoice with a beer in the sunshine!

It doesn't get much better than that.