Farmers want agriculture supported in next week’s Scottish Government’s budget
A rally will be happening outside Holyrood.
Farmers and crofters are gathering outside Holyrood this morning, calling for next week's Scottish Government budget to support agriculture.
NFU Scotland wants to see funding increased and ringfenced to provide assurance which would ultimately generate more growth and employment.
At the rally, there will be several speakers including the farmer union’s president and the cabinet secretary.
It is hoped that MSPs will also come out where agriculture workers will have the chance to lobby them on the importance of maintaining the budget which has stayed the same for years.
Dumfries and Galloway’s Regional Chair Stewart Wyllie will also be there today.
“This isn’t us protesting, whinging or complaining about anything. This is us asking MSPs and in turn the general public ‘What do you want agriculture to look like?’
“Now if you want Scotland to remain looking the way it does, then that will require support. Alternatively, don’t but then you would then have to accept the fact that it won’t be farmers that will be farming the country.
“It will be multinational companies, it will be hedge funds, it will be pension managers.
“Who do you want in control of your food? It’s a very important question and a question that we are looking for a steer from both the public and the MSPs so we can try and deliver that.”
Wyllie says their intention of this rally is to raise awareness to politicians on the importance of upkeeping the existing budget that comes from West Minister.
“For every pound that the Scottish Government invests in agriculture, they get a six-fold return on that money.
“So, not only is there a social and moral obligation on MSPs to support the rural broader countryside along with farmers but there’s a really good economic argument for it too.”
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President Martin Kennedy said: “The huge level of uncertainty felt by farmers and crofters threatens food production, family farming and crofting businesses and the environment.
“In the recent budget, the UK Government effectively washed its hands of a funding ring-fenced multi-annual safety net that has been in place for over 50 years when it passed the budget in a lump sum to the Scottish Government.
“On Thursday 28 November we are organising a rally to which we want all those who attend to send a clear message to the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government about the importance of delivering future, multi-annual, ring-fenced funding for Scottish agriculture.
“Our rally will highlight all that farmers and crofters deliver, including high-quality food production, climate and nature restoration, and thriving rural communities.
“The Scottish Government and Parliament now have a real opportunity to demonstrate that they do understand and will fully support a thriving Scottish agriculture sector.
“Let us be under no illusions this is a monumental time for Scottish agriculture, and we must rally to secure a budget on 4 December that not only delivers for Scottish farmers and crofters but for the thousands of supply chain jobs that depend on them.”