Minister commits to full support scheme funding
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing yesterday reiterated his commitment to maintaining Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) funding at the full £65 million level for the next two years.
NFU Scotland
Union’s new top team is hailed by president
Aberfeldy hill farmer Martin Kennedy and Aberdeenshire grower Charlie Adam were yesterday elected vice-presidents of NFU Scotland (NFUS).
Farmers call for better wildlife management
Beavers, badgers and buzzards surpassed even Brexit as a bugbear for the Scottish farming industry at NFU Scotland’s annual conference yesterday when growers from across the country vented their frustration over what they see as a lack of wildlife management by Scottish Natural Heritage.
Guarantee being sought for funding reinstatement
Nothing less than a cast-iron guarantee that the Scottish Government will reinstate £65 million of Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) funding in 2020 and 2021 will satisfy industry politicians when Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing addresses NFU Scotland’s annual gathering in Glasgow.
Save glyphosate by banning pre-harvest use, says former industry leader
We have probably all heard about the decision in the Monsanto Roundup case in the US, where that most fickle of all judges, an American jury, found that Monsanto had concealed the risks inherent in using Roundup.
Stop using glyphosate pre-harvest, says former NFUS leader
A former vice-president of Scotland’s farmers’ union has called on the industry to relinquish the pre-harvest use of glyphosate to maximise the chances of the herbicide continuing to be licensed for other essential applications.
Feed costs rise a factor in drop for farming incomes
Livestock feed costs increased by £74 million last year and were largely responsible for the 8% drop in farm incomes revealed in official Government statistics.
Rural leaders reiterate fears of no-deal Brexit
The failure of Westminster politicians to agree on an EU withdrawal plan prompted most rural leaders to reiterate their fears of a no-deal scenario and repeat familiar demands for frictionless trade with Europe, equivalence in the standard of imports and access to seasonal and permanent workers.
We cannot feed our nation without non-UK labour, says NFU Scotland
Britain will not be able to feed itself without the help of seasonal non-UK labour after Brexit, according to the head of a farming union.
Less favoured areas U-turn hijacks rural policy debate
A “screeching U-turn” on cuts to Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) payments hijacked a Holyrood debate on the future of rural policy yesterday.