Sir,

If you have a lot of good fertile soil, plenty water and a good climate you can produce a lot.

This is what Russia has – 17million sq km. There are places in Russia that man has never walked.

They have been producing agricultural goods since Europe and the USA slapped sanctions on them years ago, and believe they are producing a lot and are eroding markets that the West thought were theirs.

Last year they produced 135million tonnes of non-GM grains from one tenth of the available cropping land, and exported 35million tons, loaded onto a boat at a cost of £65 a ton, where USA grains are grown inland and have a long train journey to reach the sea,the same can be said for Australia!

Scotland cannot compete with Russia or Poland, one of the reasons being that those that live in the former communist countries had to work for a living whereas we didn’t – if idle we were supported by the state, so for generations we stayed at home and kidded ourselves, that is why it is so difficult to find paid labour.

The cattle industry has to change, and quickly or there will be nobody to produce cattle. The reason is the cows are too big. We have two of the oldest breeds – Angus and Highland ­– that suit our environment and are capable of producing the better eating quality beef, but for some reason beyond me, Scottish farmers have opted for dray animals from mainland Europe, and in most areas of Scotland, the grass is too short and the cows' legs are too long, and supplemented feeds needs to be introduced, up goes the cost!

My cows are pure bred Highland and we cross them with a Shorthorn, small cows in relation to the continental – my best cow her backbone is level to the bottom of my ribcage, her calf has been selling average £700, others cows in my area are bigger than my Shorthorn bull and sell their calves for less. Our cows are all outside,f ed once a day half a bale of silage, no supplemented feeding.

Yes times are changing, and they are coming fast, there is a need to get this delusion out of our heads that we are a country (of idle people) that we are better than the rest of the World and that there will be a rush to trade with us.

USA is in the same bind as they believe their own lies!

As Christians, we have been told that at the time of birth, the wise men came from the East, and not the West!!

Angus A Macdonald,

Balivanich,

Benbecula