Farmer Focus: Brexit opportunity to rewrite ag policy
Gary Mitchell in Denmark Late last month I had a teleconference with the NFU Scotland board regarding that weekend’s events.
Usually it would be about the Royal Highland Show, but it was more about the referendum result.
Whatever camp you were in, we all woke up on Friday (24 June) in great shock.
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In my opinion, there has never been a better opportunity to rewrite our agriculture policy and make it fit for purpose.
How long can we continue to produce quality food at a loss in the hope of a cash payment from Europe every December to tidy-up unpaid invoices?
Our whole industry needs a rethink. Whether in pork, lamb, beef or milk, we should have an option to sell at least 50% of our product forward at a profit or, like the Americans, under margin-protection schemes.
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I can see no future in producing a product based only on faith that it will someday give a return.
The EU made a big mistake removing milk quotas and not providing the tools to trade our milk on a futures market.
This would have given us clear indications on how future demand was looking.
But then this is an organisation that thinks a single farm area payment should be the same for an olive grower in Greece and a sheep farmer in the Highlands.
My trip to Denmark – where debt a cow is on average £15,000 – with Arla’s Asda pathfinder group was a real eye-opener.
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It is certainly not all farmers’ fault, as government regulation means you have to own a percentage of land against your cows. With more than 250 you must own it all, so land purchase a necessary to grow your business.
Also, the vet must dry your cows off and treat your mastitis.
If you’re a Remainer with itchy feet, I wouldn’t recommend Denmark.
At home, much needed rain has helped grass growth and second cut one week away.
We also fitted six new fans in the cow sheds in hope of another heat wave, but cows seem very content in the steady breeze.
Gary Mitchell milks 800 cows, with heifers reared on a local farm. Gary zero grazes 80ha of the 195ha he owns. He is regional board chairman for NFU Scotland.