SIR, – As chairman of NFU Scotland’s LFA committee, I would like to thank Jim Walker for his thought-provoking article in The Scottish Farmer's January 12 issue.

He raised several relevant points in his article, all of which I, NFUS and my LFA committee have repeatedly made to Fergus Ewing and his staff over the last year. In no way are these cuts to LFA budgets 'a done deal' and NFU Scotland is very proactive in discussions to reclaim the LFASS monies misappropriated from the LFASS budget by Mr MacKay.

We have won a partial victory as the 2021 payment has been guaranteed at 80% but nothing less than 100% is acceptable to us in this time of adverse weather and economic conditions.

Jim has made a valuable contribution to the campaign by keeping all these points in the forefront of the discussion. To quote Jim’s own words, I do think this is something that is 'worth dying on a hillside for.' If time and effort mean anything, neither have been spared in our effort to bring the budget back to the £65m which is needed and deserved by rural Scotland.

Robert Macdonald

NFUS LFA Chairman,

Castle Grant Home Farm,

Grantown-on-Spey