Scotland’s financial and political powers weighed in with advice, apologies and promises of blueprints and better times for the industry at yesterday’s sunny Scotsheep event near Peebles.
Seminars, demonstrations and advice were also on offer, but the majority of farmers seemed intent on simply having a day out touring the pristine host farm of Blythebank and its immaculate flocks of Texels, Blackfaces, Bluefaced Leicesters and Scotch Mules.
The scent of mint sauce drifted as far as the packed car parks as producers and shepherds tucked in to lamb burgers, steaks and chops, while fledgling farm minister, Fergus Ewing warily introduced himself to his new farming audience.
Questioned about the warmth of his welcome, he described farmers as “inscrutable” as a breed and quickly pledged to get stuck in to learning the complexities of the industry’s technical terms and policies.
And he insisted he also had a vision for Scottish agriculture.
“It’s for a green, outward-looking profitable sector that’s resilient and utilizes the assets we have to maximum effect,” he said.
Mr Ewing added that he would focus on the industry’s primary purpose of food production and strive to ensure farmers got credit for the job they did in providing food for the nation. He also promised the results of a report on recommendations for the Scottish sheep sector would be available in the next few months and details of the upland sheep support scheme were coming “soon”.
He also said the Government would renew efforts to create opportunities for young farmers in the not too distant future.
Main sponsors, the Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) chief executive, Ross McEwan, opened the event and announced that his bank had seen an increase of 7% in lending to farmers in the first quarter of this year.
“There have been challenging times for the industry,” he said.
“But Scotsheep and other events like it are a great way to keep up to date with developments. They showcase the best of breeding, new techniques and the best carcasses as you look for ways to improve farm performance, both technically and financially.”
Later Mr McEwan, who has a beef farm in New Zealand, emphasized that the industry needed to focus on productivity and constantly look at improving farms and making them more viable.
“It’s not just Scottish farmers. I think globally farmers need to be much more productive and get more out of every acre and head of sheep and cattle and get weights up as quickly as they can to make money out of farming,” he said.
Despite the downturn in several farming sectors RBS confirmed farmers were still investing in Scottish agriculture although less than in previous years because they were tightening their belts. Most of the investment is going in to the arable sector and particularly the potato industry.
