Scottish farmers owe banks a billion

09 June 1998

Scottish farmers owe banks a £billion

SCOTTISH farmers owe the major banks more than £1 billionn – a rise of 16% this year and equivalent to half the industrys annual output.

Jimmy McLean, chairman of the Scottish Clearing Banks agriculture committee, stressed after a meeting in Glasgow, that there was growing anxiety for the future prospects of the industry.

The banks had a meeting with the Scottish National Farmers Union president George Lyon and vice-president Jim Walker, earlier.

Lyon plans to join 15,000 farmers in Cardiff, Wales, next Sunday in a lobby at the summit meeting of European Union leaders.

• The Scotsman 09/06/98 page 28