Dear reader, I would like to extend an invitation to The Big Farm Debate at our stand at the Royal Highland Show.
The debate is open to all our readers, with refreshments available on the stand to quench a sun-drenched thirst or warm a rain-soaked jacket, no matter the weather, all are welcome.
Please make a point of heading along on Thursday, June 19, at 3pm to our stand on 7th Avenue, where we’ll be putting the world to rights, with a few laughs in between.
How we forge the future of farming is no simple task, and recent announcements from the so-called powers that be have made success all the trickier.
For example imagine waiting nearly three decades for an electronic tag system for cattle then two come along at once. It beggars belief that, on our relatively small British island, we could end up with two different cattle EID technologies.
READ MORE | Big Farm Debate returns at Highland Show
No doubt both the LF and UHF camps have consulted stakeholders, listened to consultations, and taken expert advice. But the result is a stinking pile of manure (to put it politely).
Thank goodness we decided what side of the road to drive on long ago, or we’d have Scots on the left and the English on the right.
Once again, those acting on behalf of the industry have failed to get round the table and knock together an action plan that delivers for ordinary farmers.
Hundreds of thousands of cattle move north and south between Scotland and England, and anything that hampers this trade is a brake on progress.
If we don’t sort out a compromise soon, the British beef industry risks becoming the biggest joke in the bovine world.
Speaking of jokes, this week animal rights extremists PETA announced they want to ban our iconic grand parade at the Highland Show – one of the great spectacles of the farming calendar.
These bampots have no concept whatsoever of livestock farming when they claim the animals at the show are the product of factory farming.
Our splendid cattle, sheep, goats, and horses likely enjoy far more freedom than most housed pets in Scotland’s cities – yet no one’s calling to cancel our moggies or doggies.
No one respects animals more than farmers. Although clearly, anyone who thinks sheep are to be loved only for their personality has never had to deal with a gimmer that's delivered twins but only wants to mother one.
There is a serious side to this. Continued public education is vital whether by Clarkson on the TV or the brilliant RHET in the classroom, every effort is needed to build understanding.
Further, animal rights activists need to be watched carefully. They can pull tricks on innocent farmers with devastating consequences, and the industry must stand united against the threat.
One piece of news welcomed by many readers in the South West of Scotland was the proposal for a national park being thrown out.
The drawbacks of such a scheme in an intensively farmed area outweighed the benefits. We must be cautious when manipulating economies and regions of Scotland from ivory towers in Holyrood.
In this instance, the government listened to locals who said ‘no thanks’.
The next step is to ensure the promised investment is delivered – just hopefully not wrapped in the red tape of a national park.
I am sure you will agree, lots to get our teeth into at our Big Farm Debate at this year’s Royal Highland Show.
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