Farmer Focus: Demise of tree business and Leaf frustration

With no spring cropping to undertake, and therefore no expensive diesel required, our arable enterprise is currently in a good position.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for our Sitka spruce enterprise. We should have just finished harvesting more than a million trees, but the harvester in fact never left the shed. 

In part, this was down to weather, but the main reason was the demise of the company we supply our nursery stock to – a company that has grown trees for more than 200 years. 

See also: 70% of Scots funding to be through continued direct payments

About the author

Neil MacLeod

Neil MacLeod manages 1,600ha of mixed soils on the east coast of Angus, Scotland. The majority of the land is in arable production with diversified enterprises consisting of soft fruit, sitka spruce, environmental stewardship, and renewable energy.

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When the firm entered administration, it showed just how vulnerable long-standing agricultural businesses are to short-sighted changes in government policy.

In this instance it was unexpected yet significant reductions in tree planting targets for Scotland. 

Investment in plant, machinery and infrastructure, and an increase in staff numbers to cope with previous targets, were all made with the best of intentions.

However, with cuts made, managing cashflow became impossible and signalled the end of a six-generation family business.

For us, it means stock in the ground which, hopefully, using chemical and mechanical intervention, we can keep at a marketable size for next winter.

More importantly, we need to plan for the future and hope we can continue with our Sitka enterprise and secure the valuable source of alternative income it brings to our business.

We recently had our fourth Leaf audit, having passed the previous three with no issues.

With no changes to scheme standards in the past 12 months, I was disappointed and frustrated to come away with seven non-conformances because of a new auditing company being appointed.

Although I understand auditing companies may change, what I struggle to get my head around is how different organisations interpret Leaf’s scheme standards, which are set out in black and white.

The Leaf standard was once held in the highest regard.

However, now we are expected to jump on board, that standard has become nothing more than yet another tick-box audit, with the aforementioned non-conformance issue leaving a bitter taste in one’s mouth.