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Meeting of the Parliament 18 January 2012

18 Jan 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Common Agricultural Policy (Reform)

MacKenzie, Mike SNP Highlands and Islands Watch on SPTV

Presiding Officer, I have a confession to make: I cannot pretend to understand properly the common agricultural policy, some of which is mind-boggling in its complexity. That, of course, is part of the problem. I therefore welcome some of the proposed reforms, especially the proposed simplification, although I remain sceptical about elements of the proposals that may increase complexity.

As I said, I do not fully understand the CAP. Fortunately, I know a man who does. He is sitting in front of me: he is the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead. It was no surprise to me that he was the first cabinet secretary to be re-appointed last May, because every farmer I talk to all over the Highlands and Islands sings his praises as being the first Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs who properly understands farming and who fully represents their interests.

I repeat that I do not fully understand the CAP, but having carried out building work for a number of farmers over the years, I do know something about farmers. I know them to be the most versatile and capable of people who can mix a batch of concrete as easily and as well as they tend their livestock and their land. I know, too, from my own previous occupation how difficult it is to work outside all day, often battling against the elements and dealing with the practicalities of running a business, then to come home at night to face a mountain of paperwork.

I know, too, of farmers whose fathers and grandfathers were farmers and who wish, in their hearts, that their sons and daughters, too, could be farmers, but whose heads now dictate that they advise their children to take up other occupations. I share their sadness at that.

However, our farmers are still in many ways the mainstays of our rural economy, and they represent a culture, tradition and way of life that has been passed down through the generations. They have been the custodians of our environment and they are the reason why we still enjoy a high quality environment.

Thanks, again, to the energy, the effort and the enthusiasm of Richard Lochhead and to the hard work of our farmers and others in the supply chain, in the face of global competition, our farm produce—our wholesome Scottish food—is increasingly being marketed and brought to the tables of Scots and of others around the world, with exports significantly increasing as the quality of our produce is internationally recognised. That, in turn, feeds into our tourism industry, and I am pleased to see that across the Highlands and Islands people can, in many of our restaurants and hotels, eat the top-quality produce of our land and our seas, which adds immense quality and value to the visitor experience.

I welcome the proposed greening of our agriculture, but only as far as it can be implemented with the willing consent of our farmers. They are the local experts and I have concerns that the particular challenges that our Scottish farmers face will not be understood properly in Westminster.

Whatever the final outcome of the negotiations with Brussels, Scotland's farmers must be listened to and be heard. I know that the cabinet secretary is listening, but I have concerns about the challenges that he has in being heard properly in Brussels. After all, he has too often had first to fight the UK Government for the opportunity of taking the case of our Scottish farmers directly to Brussels.

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Meeting of the Parliament 18 January 2012

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