Mòran fhathast ri rèiteach le roinn an àiteachais

Chan eil an t-slighe air adhart fhathast air a dhearbhadh

[English-language version below]

Aig a’ mhionaid mu dheireadh, chur na buill-pàrlamaid air adhart còrr air 80 moladh airson atharrachadh, dearbhadh nach eil cùisean mu thimcheall seo cho reithe sa bhithear an dòchas no a’ sùileachadh. Tha e ciallachadh nach e toiseach tòiseachaidh ro chofhartail a bhios aig an Achd oifigeal.

‘S e slighe fhada is connspaideach a tha air a bhith ann agus bha e soilleir gur bi dè thigeadh aontachadh ris aig a’ cheann thall gun robh e gu bhith gu math duileach an dà phrìomh amas a thoirt còmhla: dìon na h-àrainneachd agus na thathas ag àrach de bhiadh san dùthaich seo a chumail cho àrd sa ghabhas.

Chan eil an dà rud cho fad às a sin bho chèile, ach bhiodh e ciallachadh toiseachadh a-rithist bho thùs. Agus bha e follaiseach nach robh sin gu bhith comasach: an fheadhainn a bha faighinn, cha robh iad airson sin a’ chall.

Mar is fhaide a bha cùisean a’ dol ‘s ann a bu dhuilghe a bha iad a’ fàs. Cha robh càil ceàrr air an amas fhèin, ach bha e follaiseach nach robh fhios ciamar a ghabhadh a thoirt beò ann an seagh practaigeach a chumadh gach taobh toilichte.

Agus le sin chaidh Bile aontachadh ris anns a bheil mòran farsaingeach, a tha toirt an cothrom dhan Riaghaltas cùisean atharrachadh nas fhaide sios an rathaid ma tha sin a dhìth.

Agus ma bha na h-atharraichean a chaidh an cur air adhart aig a’ mhionaid mu dheireadh ag innse na sgeoil fhèin, bha cuideachd agus na chaidh a ràdh mu dheidhinn às a dhèidh.

Thuirt Caidreachas Croitearachd na h-Alba gur e cothrom caillte a bh’ann.

Thuirt cathraiche na buidhne, Jonatan Hedges: “Tha sinne a’ cur cuideam air an Riaghaltas plana taic dùthchail a dhealbh ann an dòigh a bheir cothrom dha croitearan barrachd a dhèanamh a-thaobh biadh na dùthcha àrach agus stuth ionadail, agus aig an aon àm a bhith ag obair a dh’ionnsaigh amasan a’ Bhile air an àrainneachd.

“Leis an taic cheart, gheibh croitearan air mòran a dhèanamh - dha coimhearsnachdan dùthchail, dha biadh, dhan àrainneachd agus dha nàdar.”

Bha Aonadh nan Tuathanach, iad fhein, ag radh gu feumar suil a chumail air cuisean.

Thuirt stiùiriche nam poileasaidh, Seonaidh Hall: “Tha gnìomhachas àiteachais a tha prothaideil is leanntaineach riatanach son amasan na h-Alba a choileanadh agus feumaidh na cumhachdan a bhith ann an àite son an taic cheart a thoirt seachad.

“Ach ‘s e aon rud a tha ann an cumhachdan; ‘s e rud eile a tha ann dè feum a thig a dhèanamh leotha.”

Bha coir gun robh am Bile gu bhith na chothrom slighe ùr, chinnteach a dhealbh dha àiteachais agus ciamar a thathas a roinn a-mach £600 millean sa bhliadhna.

Ach, tha e follaiseach gu bheil an deasbad agus an còmhradh dol a leanntainn, gun fhios le cinnt (fiù ‘s fhathast) dè saoghal a tha gu bhith mu choinneimh roinn a tha cho cudromach ann an iomadach dòigh.

English-language version:

With over 80 amendments tabled at the very last stage, in a desperate last-ditch attempt by MSPs to instigate meaningful change, it was clear that the new Agriculture and Rural Communities Act will begin its life on uncertain ground.

Passed last week, the Bill suffered a tortuous and long journey through the Scottish Parliament as it became increasingly clear that whatever provisions were laid down, it was always going to prove a difficult balancing act to bring its two central aims together: ie, increased environmental activity and protecting (or even enhancing) food production. The two need not be mutually exclusive – in the right hands. But from a legislative point of view that would probably require a completely clean sheet of paper, and vested interests could never accept that: businesses will always protect what they have.

So as the detail became harder and harder to work out, as competing interests fought their corner, so the watering-down process became the default position. The vision was not the problem, the ability to make it happen very much was. So we are now left with a “Framework Bill” in which the status quo on agricultural subsidy distribution will largely continue, but the flexibility remains for change as and when required. No doubt, the words of Sir Humphrey Appleby echoed in the minds of those who drafted such a solution... “in the fullness of time”, “after due consideration”, etc.

If the 80 or so 11th-hour amendments could be seen as a critique of the Bill itself, so too was the subsequent response from the key stakeholders a signal that much still remains in play. Take this from the Scottish Crofting Federation: “We urge the Scottish government to design the rural support plan in a way that enables crofters to contribute more to national food production and local supply chains while working towards the Bill’s objectives on sustainable and regenerative agriculture. With the right support system in place, crofters can achieve a lot.”

NFU Scotland, meanwhile, a far more powerful lobby, issued a similar rallying call. Director of policy Jonnie Hall said: “A profitable, sustainable agricultural industry is key to Scotland’s ambitions and having the powers to deliver the right support is crucial.” But he added: “Powers are one thing; it is how those powers are used that matters most.”

The Bill and soon to be Act was intended to provide a clear new direction on the distribution of some £600 million a year of agricultural support. But it’s clear that the failure to deliver on that means the debate and discussion will continue for some years yet on just what sort of future awaits those at the sharp end of production, and indeed Scotland's countryside as a whole.