Miller's manifesto puts EU subsidy reform at top of government's intray

After 12 years of devolution where agriculture and rural issues have risen in profile compared with the situation in England, NFU Scotland president Nigel Miller admitted he was in a bullish frame on mind in putting forward his union's manifesto yesterday.

The top political priority for the union is to ensure a successful outcome to the current reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy and Miller said this would need the incoming Scottish Government to work constructively with politicians in both Westminster and Brussels.

The union definition of success here would be a continuation of direct support; in fact with Scotland receiving one of the lowest per hectare levels of support within the EU, there is a need for a better budget deal, according to Miller.

He said the work carried out by Brian Pack and his panel in producing a policy for the future of agricultural support in Scotland was "more a platform for discussion rather than a finished work".

Miller, who was speaking from Brussels where he and senior NFUS officials had been meeting EU civil servants on the issue of defining "active farmers", said the introduction of a workable definition of activity was critical to a future support scheme.

Referring to those who are no longer actively farming but who continue to receive subsidies as "slipper farmers", Miller said: "We want to see support going to those who are producing food and delivering public benefits."

He said it was more difficult to justify public cash going to those who were no longer delivering and that was why the union wanted the issue addressed within the reform of the CAP.

The unique nature of Scotland with its diverse challenges should also be remembered by those at the CAP negotiating table with a rejection of any "one size fits all" solution, he said.

On the home front, the union listed the reduction in the administrative burden on farms as a priority for the next set of politicians coming in to take control of Holyrood.

And in a reflection of the current problems of swingeing penatlies for mistakes in suupport applications, the union is calling for the enforcement of regulations to be "fair, consistent and proportionate".

Referring to the current dispute between red meat processors and the Food Standards Agency on the issue of inspection costs, Miller said he believed the problem could be solved but it would need a two-stage approach the first of which would be having an independent FSA in Scotland.

Reflecting a theme which has dominated union issues for the past 20 years, Miller said he wanted to see the new government pressing Westminster on the appointment of an adjudicator to deal with inequalities in the food chain.

He also expressed a wish for farmers to be involved in the development of more food processing facilities and factories in Scotland as a long-term plan in addressing the issue of poor farm-gate prices.

Among other matters, the union has once again called for either the reform or the abolition of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

If reform was the choice of the Scottish Government, then training and health and safety should be the priorities of the new body. If abolished, the union believes wage rates are best dealt with by the National Minimum Wage legislation.

While most of the Union manifesto relates to requirements of one sort or another, it also provides a carrot – saying the industry is prepared to play its part in getting Scotland out of the current downturn.