SCOTTISH FARMING TO CONTINUE EFFICIENCY DRIVE

NFU Scotland believes continued improvements in efficiency at farm level hold the key to improving the bottom line of farm business enterprises while also ensuring that the farming sector delivers its part of the deal on tackling climate change.

Speaking at AgriScot, NFU Scotland President Jim McLaren called for a renewed debate on climate change, one that highlights the opportunities for farming by way of potential new markets and reducing waste but which would also require greater Scottish Government commitment to help deliver.

Mr McLaren said:

“In a nutshell, the climate change debate revolves around emissions and emissions themselves are a product of waste and inefficiency. Scottish farmers across all sectors have a long, proven track record of improving efficiency and reducing waste. It is only by making such improvements in their businesses, that so many Scottish farms still survive today but it is also a reason why Scottish agriculture has already reduced its carbon footprint by 17 percent since the Scottish Government’s base year of 1990. Importantly, these cuts in emissions have been delivered without a major drop in Scotland’s agricultural output. Over the same period, emissions from residential sources have remained constant or increased.

“I think Scottish farmers will respond positively to the message that looking to drive further efficiency into their businesses will be good for their bottom line and meet our part of the deal of delivering on Scotland’s world-leading climate change targets. But there needs to be better support for delivering change and there needs to be some payback.

“Many Scottish farmers will rightly point out that they have been driving efficiency and cost cutting into their businesses for years but that it has brought about little benefit in terms of returns from the market place and simply ensured that businesses stay afloat rather than grow and expand.

“That needs to change and it is important that farmers are able to make the best informed decisions on how they will go about farming in the future. The choices for Scottish farmers to consider are many – reduced finishing times for livestock, better feed conversion, disease eradication, minimum tillage, better use of clovers and fertilisers and many more. The solution may include a mix of modern and traditional methods and systems. What is equally important is that we don’t shut the door on new and developing technologies, such as GM, before we have established whether they have a role to play in Scotland.

“Let us be absolutely clear – Scottish farming and farmers are committed to playing their part in tackling the challenges of climate change but that commitment to greater on-farm efficiency should bring with it further Scottish Government support to meet its ambitious targets as well as greater recognition from those who buy our wide range of Scottish produce that farmers deserve a fair return for the various goods that they deliver.”