Westminster View - Working with farmers under unprecedented pressure
Angus looks great at all times of year but we are now approaching the hight of the growing season with our rich and productive agricultural landscape looking outstand and every inch a testament to Angus’s position as the ‘Garden of Scotland’, writes Dave Doogan MP.
This time of year also sees our agricultural shows in full swing with their wonderful combination of vintage and new vehicles, award-winning animals and any amount of refreshments for all the family.
Our agricultural sector is under pressure as never before so I take my hat off to our resilient and committed food producers. I have worked alongside our farmers in opposing damaging imports from Australia which undercut our producers with much lower costs of production, courtesy of the UK Department of Trade.
This is because foreign producers have far lower standards of environmental protection and keep their animals with far lower standards than our dedicated farmers uphold here.
In Scotland we have a far more efficient and sophisticated system of Ultra High Frequency Electronic Identification for tagging animals from birth to slaughter. Yet as England lumbers towards introducing their own system, farmers here fear they will introduce antique low frequency devices rather than mirroring the progress made under the Scottish Government. This threat to Scotland’s agricultural efficiency is a direct consequence of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Westminster.
And of course we have seen only a partial U-turn from the UK Government on Agricultural Property Relief. Since it announced this assault on our agricultural sector, and rural economy more generally, I have stood fast against it, highlighting the inevitable consequences of their mistake.
Leaving aside the fact Labour promised not to change APR, this policy could never have been allowed to stand. Another millstone round our food producers’ necks, this time thanks to the UK Treasury.
Finally I congratulate all candidates in the Arbroath & Broughty Ferry by-election for being willing to serve. My wish is that the successful candidate can demonstrate they will put Scotland first not just some of the time, but all the time.