Kicker: Disconnect between Ministers and union grows
By Ewan Pate
THE Scottish Governments ambition to become a world leader in regenerative agriculture has been overtaken by events, according to NFU Scotland.
The unions head of policy, Jonnie Hall, used a members webinar last Thursday evening (September 29) to warn there was a fundamental mismatch between the group and Ministers on what agricultures future should look like.
Mr Hall said: The Scottish Governments vision is of our country being a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The NFUS vision is for a sustainable and profitable future for Scottish agriculture.
In my opinion, events have overtaken the Scottish Governments vision. We are not operating in a static environment.
NFUS had faced criticism over the summer for being too close to Government.
Mr Hall sought to dispel this notion by pointing to the chaotic mix of recent and forthcoming policy drivers emanating from the corridors of power.
Climate change, land reform, biodiversity and wider rural development have all been dealt with in different and sometimes conflicting ways.
Mr Hall was keen to point out that the Agriculture Bill would only outline the powers that would be available to Scottish Government from 2025. It would not set policy.
That was the task being discussed by the Agricultural Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), which is jointly chaired by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon and NFUS president Martin Kennedy.
In recent weeks, Mr Kennedy has strongly rebuffed suggestions that this joint chairmanship neutralises his ability to disagree with ARIOB decisions.
He told the webinar: This [consultation on the Agriculture Bill] is not an ARIOB consultation. The ARIOB members first had sight of it in June, but were then blind-sided when it came out with no notice. It is vital that ARIOB members are now able to have an input into the discussion. I am extremely frustrated that this has not been the case.
In a further sign of a disconnect between NFUS, civil servants and politicians, Scottish Government organised its first online consultation of the Agriculture Bill at the same time and on the same evening, as the NFUS webinar despite having advance notice.
