Growers count costs of storms

Scottish farming leaders yesterday visited a number of soft fruit growing farms in Tayside yesterday to gauge the extent of the damage caused by the storm-force winds this week.

NFU Scotland vice-presidents Allan Bowie and John Picken saw 100 acres of damaged polytunnels on the Blairgowrie farm belonging to Peter Thomson.

One estimate has suggested that with 600 of the total 2,000 acres under polytunnels being damaged, the Scottish soft fruit sector faces a 6 million bill to replace torn polythene covers and steel frames.

Bowie commented that not only would the cost involved in rebuilding, replacing and repairing be huge but given that polytunnels were temporary structures, they were unlikely to have been insured.

Bowie added that vegetable growers were also caught out by the storm, but he was keen to underline that even although the damage was severe it was repairable and Scottish soft fruit and vegetables would be on shop shelves.