Tha Murray MacLeòid ag ràdh gu bheil prìsean àrda fearainn air cron adhbhrachadh

Thàinig 24 tuathanasan beinne air a’ mhargaidh ann a 2022 - àireamh nas àrda na tha àbhasiteach. (Dealbh: ROBERT PERRY/AFP via Getty Images)

[English-language version below]

A-rèir a’ chompanaidh reic fearainn Strutt & Parker, thàinig àrdachadh mòr air an àireamh de thuathanasan beinne a thàinig air a’ mhargaidh ann an 2022 agus daoine a’ coimhead a’ chothroim a tha air a thighinn le prìsean sìor àrd.

Seo na tha a’ tachairt. Can an-dràsta, g’ eil thu na do chompanaidh mhòr eadar-nàiseanta le cliù rudeigin suarach a thaobh na h-àrainneachd, companaidh mhòr ola, can. An rud as fheàrr dhut a dhèanamh, ‘s e beagan mhilleanan a chosg (smodal dha do leithid) air fearrann ann an Alba airson craobhan a chur. Ma tha mòinteach dhubh na chois, ‘s ann nas fheàrr a tha e.

Faodadh tu an uair sin tòiseachadh innse dha daoine mun obair a tha thu a’ dèanamh air an àrainneachd.

Ach, seo an rud as fheàrr dheth buileach: pàighidh Riaghaltas na h-Alba airson na h-obrach a tha ri dhèanamh a thaobh chraobhan agus ath-stèidheachadh na mòintiche.

‘S beag an t-iongnadh gu bheil an uimhir aca a’ faicinn a’ chothroim. Smaoinich fhèin, luchd-pàighidh nan cìs ann an Alba a’ pàigheadh airson ìomhaigh companaidhean eadar-nàiseanta a chuideachadh. Abair suidheachadh.

Ach a bharrachd air a’ cheist mhoralta, tha buaidh eile gu math bunaiteach aige – sin, mar a tha e a’ bualadh air coimhearsnachdan iomallach.

Tha ceist ann a bheil craobhan ùra air fearann a tha air a dheagh choimhead às a dhèidh, beò le eun-laith is planntrais de gach seòrsa, ciallach.

Ach aon rud a tha gu cinnteach, ‘s e g’ eil e a’ cuideachadh le bhith a’ cur daoine air falbh bhon fhearann (chan eil craobhan ag iarraidh daoine) agus glè thric, tha seo a’ tachairt ann an coimhearsnachdan a tha a’ fulang mar-thà.

Tha sgrùdadh a thàinig bho Strutt & Parker a’ sealltainn gun tàinig 24 tuathanasan beinne air a’ mhargaidh ann an 2022; sin an coimeas ri 11 ann an 2021 agus dìreach naoi ann an 2020. B’ e tuathanasan beinne a chomharraich faisg air aon thrian dhe na tuathan gu lèir air a’ mhargaidh ann an 2022, nuair nach robh annta, gu traidiseanta, ach mu dheich no fichead sa cheud.

Tha rudeigin a’ tachairt agus tha e reusanta gu leòr smaoineachadh gur e an t-iarrtas a bharrachd air fearann, ri linn ghrantaichean, a tha air a chùlaibh. Tha an dearbh rud a’ tachairt le oighreachdan mòra.

Sin beachd Diane Fleming bho Strutt & Parker. “Tha seo a’ sealltainn gu bheil cuid a thuathanaich a’ gabhail brath air na prìsean àrda a thathas air a bhith a’ faighinn airson obair coilltearachd agus bho luchd-ceannach calpachais nàdarra.”

‘S dòcha gu bheil criomag de dhòchas ri fhaighinn le bhith a’ toirt sùil nas doimhne air an fhiosrachadh ged-tà. Anns an darna leth dhen bhliadhna, sin 2022, cha robh robh an uimhir a thuathanasan a’ tighinn air a’ mhargaidh ‘s a bha.

‘S dòcha gun robh seo ri linn agus gun tuirt an Riaghaltas gun robh iad gu bhith nas cùramaiche mu chò a tha a' faighinn ghrantaichean, no ‘s dòcha, dìreach nach eil an còrr dhe na tuathanaich a tha air fhàgail airson reic.

Gur bith dè, tha cron air a dhèanamh agus cha b’ e seo idir a bhatar a’ sùileachadh le bhith a’ gluasad na dùthcha gu bunait a bha còir a bhith nas fheàrr dhan àrainneachd.

English-language version:

A recent report has served to highlight once again the degree to which a land grab has been happening across rural Scotland – and, while on the face of it, this is being done for environmental reasons, there is little altruistic intention behind it. It is, once again, all about money and riches.

According to land-sale specialists Strutt & Parker, the number of hill farms put up for sale in 2022 saw a significant increase as farmers and landowners looked to cash in on the ‘Great Carbon Credits Swindle’, which threatens to radically change the face of Scotland’s countryside.

It goes something like this. If you are a major international company with dubious environmental credentials – say a major oil company – then your best bet is to invest a few million in Scottish land (chicken feed in the grand scheme of things) to plant trees. Even better if there’s also the chance of some peatland restoration.

Then you can set about the public affairs war of changing your image into one of environmental responsibility. But here’s the best bit, the nugget of real gold: the Scottish Government pays for the work to be done. No wonder it was seen as such an opportunity: Scottish tax-payers funding major international companies to change their public image.

But apart from the questionable morality of such an approach, there is another debilitating impact to it all – the direct effect on rural communities. There is a debate as to whether the planting of trees on well-managed grassland with high levels of biodiversity is actually counterproductive from an environmental point of view, but what it certainly does is contribute further to the loss of human capital on the land and very often this is happening in communities which are already facing a challenge in retaining population.

Analysis of the data from Strutt & Parker shows that 24 hill farms came onto the open market in Scotland in 2022, compared with 11 in 2021 and just nine in 2020. Hill farms accounted for 27 per cent of all the farms on sale last year, when they usually make up between just ten and 20 per cent.

In other words, something has been happening and it’s a fair assumption that it’s the carbon land grab at play, with the position replicated on major estates, some of them being sold in private deals well above the normal market value.

Strutt & Parker land agent Diane Fleming agrees: "This signals that some farmers have been tempted to take advantage of the premium prices that have been on offer from forestry and natural capital buyers.”

But there may be a small bit of positivity in a further analysis of the research. In the second half of last year, the number of hill farms being put up for sale decreased, just as the Scottish Government was putting out the message that they were going to clamp down on who can access grants. Or it may just be that the remaining farmers are not looking to sell.