Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the future of agriculture policy in Scotland.
Scotland’s farmers and growers produce goods worth around £2.9 billion a year and are responsible for much of Scotland’s £5 billion food and drink exports. I am therefore pleased that the UK Government has provided clarity to Scottish farmers about exactly how much funding they will receive in 2020 and 2021 by setting Direct Payments at the same level as in 2019, and has guaranteed the annual farm budget for each year of this Parliament.
As a devolved issue, the Scottish Government has introduced an agriculture bill to the Scottish Parliament, which they say will cause no difficulty with the continued payment of moneys that are due to farmers and crofters. I believe that any future agriculture bill in Scotland should enable farmers to be paid public money for public goods, including environmental protection. I would like to assure you, however, that my MSP colleagues in Holyrood will consider any future legislation with the upmost scrutiny.
I believe that funding from the Scottish Government to modernise agriculture is needed now more than ever. Productivity has dropped for three years in a row; incomes are down by almost 10 per cent while farm debt is at its highest since 1972. I believe it is vital for the Scottish Government to start valuing and rewarding farmers for the important services they provide.
Rural Scotland needs reliable support to prosper and become more sustainable, and my MSP colleagues are willing to work with the Scottish Government if it is serious about putting that support in place.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards, Alister
