Scottish Parliament Committee to visit dairy farms

Holyrood’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee will visit three dairy farms and Carbon Capture Scotland in Kirkcudbrightshire this week as part of its on-going pre-legislative scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s proposals for future agriculture policy.

The Committee is due to scrutinise the Agriculture Bill when it is introduced later this year.

Having visited an arable farming partnership in June this year, the Committee is keen to learn more about different production methods used by farms of various sizes and the steps that can be taken to reduce environmental impact and restore biodiversity in their holdings.

Members are set to visit Littleton Farm and The Ethical Dairy, both in the Gatehouse of Fleet, and Torr Farm in Auchencairn. The Committee will also visit Carbon Capture Scotland, a leading carbon capture asset specialist in Crocketford, where delegates will be accompanied by Crofthead dairy farm and South of Scotland Enterprise.

Committee Convener, Finlay Carson MSP and Members Karen Adam MSP; Alasdair Allan MSP; Jim Fairlie MSP; Kate Forbes MSP; Rhoda Grant MSP and Rachael Hamilton MSP will all take part in the fact-finding visits.

Speaking ahead of the visit today, Committee Convener and leader of the delegation, Finlay Carson MSP said: “These visits will help us really get to grips with issues surrounding the support farmers need in relation to CAP payments and to understand the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for different farming systems.

“It’s crucial that we get to the root of what farmers need from future agriculture policy to best support their farms and help them provide for a just transition. 

“Before the Parliament’s summer recess period, we had already covered a lot of ground by hearing the views of a broad range of agriculture sector stakeholders on the themes of food production, supply chains, climate change and biodiversity to name a few. 

“But this crucial ‘on the ground’ insight will help us better understand how future agriculture policy needs to work to allow the sector to flourish over many years to come.”

More detail about the Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny of agriculture policy can be found on the Committee webpages.