This time I’d like to start by welcoming Sarah Millar to her role as the new CEO of Quality Meat Scotland, which she will be taking up shortly.

As an internal appointment. many may be concerned that it will be ‘business as before’ from QMS as, under the previous management it appeared to move from an arm’s length levy board to fully fledged quango within the Scottish Government’s Agriculture and Rural Directorate, conveniently forgetting just who funds part of it along the way.

That said, it would be churlish not to acknowledge last year's ‘Field Cred’ campaign which had clearly engaged the younger demographic of diners that the Scottish livestock industry needed to attract.

However, I do wonder how many farmers are aware of this and other campaigns?

QMS’s tie up with the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative to support the Royal Highland Education Trusts ‘Year of Beef’ is also great to see and their joint letter to every Primary School head in Scotland to create awareness of the curriculum support they can offer is an important first step. Though I am left wondering why it isn’t called the ‘Year of Scotch Beef’?

Reading their joint letter, they state: 'The main objective of agriculture in Scotland is to produce food, however, farmers are working to do this in more sustainable and environmentally friendly ways, whilst acknowledging that much more still needs to be done to reach the government’s targets'.

So, it is of note that Sarah’s background, with a degree in green technology and some experience along the supply chain, hopefully will see QMS helping farmers and processing levy payers achieve net zero and to promote this to consumers. But will she?

Also, within the announcement of her appointment was reference to her membership of the Suckler Beef Climate Scheme Implementation board.

This initiative with its wide range of recommendations was halted in its tracks by what appears to be a Westminster environmental zealots posing as out riders within Scotland’s Civil Service with an ambition that the report be little more than something an office cleaner would dust weekly.

The clear lack of trust in a framer-led initiative on the part of these senior Civil Servants should have been challenged by QMS (and still should) and they should have made the case that not only could their levy payers deliver the plan, but they would also take ownership of the delivery process.

But QMS is not the only organisation currently involved in writing joint letters.

The Scottish Government’s Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, Neil Gray MSP, has joined with his devolved counterparts to write to the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration, Kevin Foster MP, at Westminster.

Just prior to Christmas, Mr Foster appeared before the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) select committee to answer questions on shortage occupations and skilled worker visas within the food processing sector. His 150 minutes of evidence can best be described as 'gibberish'.

A member of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) team immediately challenged the validity of some of claims the minister made to the EFRA committee. As a result, the minister responded in writing to the committee’s chair, laying the blame for his factually incorrect answers at the feet of his officials who had badly briefed him.

Once again, it appeared to provide evidence that that some Civil Servants, both north and south of the Border, come to their posts with neither knowledge nor interest in our country’s farming and food systems. Taxpayers deserve better. Farmers deserve better.

So, on the basis that ‘a good workman never blames his tools’, it is easy to deduce that the minister, who, let’s face it has the economic wellbeing of Scotland’s farming and food industry in his hands, is perhaps not well suited to the role he has been given.

No doubt some of the elected MPs from your side of the Border laughed at the minister’s discomfort whilst others winced!

Throughout the pandemic we have seen Scotland’s government take several decisions based on what was best for the country’s population and the economy. So, maybe it is time that despite legal migration to the UK not being a devolved matter, that this country’s agriculture and food industries made a stand and simply brought in the skilled labour that is required, be it for nursing and social care, logistics and warehousing or for the food, meat and poultry processing sector.

Let’s be honest, the Scottish Government loves rubbing Westminster noses in it, showing how they can be different – whatever legal lines they cross – so why not just sort it unilaterally. This would fix industry staffing issues and kicks Westminster in the nuts almost overnight. What’s not to like?

And what’s more, it’s unlikely that Westminster would challenge such a move given the finely balanced nature of Anglo-Scottish politics.

The Scottish Government’s Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate web page says that they '…promote sustainable economic growth in agriculture, the food industry, and in rural areas.'

That economic growth comes from having the right people in the right jobs to keep the production cycles from Scotland’s livestock farmers being processed into Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork. Sales of which, be they domestic, throughout the UK or in the ever-expanding overseas markets, will all provide revenue to Scotland’s exchequer that can drive the country’s post pandemic recovery.

Scottish politicians, along with those from the Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive, all make the case for reform to the present migration rules. It is also incumbent of QMS’s chair and new CEO to also make the case if they are to be seen as best supporting their levy payers' interests.