Baxter: Lib Dem plans would turn things around for farmers

In their manifesto, Scottish Liberal Democrats committed to recognising the agriculture industry as the bedrock of the Scottish economy.

To support and protect farmers, Scottish Liberal Democrats would:

• Ringfence agriculture funding, protect support payments and move to 3-year funding deals to give farmers the confidence and certainty they need.
• Securely fund Scotland’s agricultural and rural colleges to boost and sustain the wider rural and countryside workforce.
• Remove barriers to on-farm renewable energy generation, agritourism, building change of use and the delivery of small-scale housing for workers and locals.
• Declare the Scottish Government’s support for Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael’s Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill to get fairer prices for farmers and food producers across the UK.
• Champion a bespoke EU-UK customs arrangement to allow Scottish food to reach its biggest export market unimpeded.

Scottish Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Andrew Baxter said:

“I’m delighted to be speaking to farmers and producers at the Royal Highland Show this weekend.

“Scottish agriculture has been let down by the family farm tax, trade barriers, falling income and the squeeze placed on farmers by multinational supermarkets.

“Over the last two decades, the SNP have dished out plenty of warm words but failed to show any true understanding of agriculture, rural Scotland or the challenges they face.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to end that failure and turn things around for farmers across the country.

“Scottish agriculture deserves a fair deal, and my party have got the plans to deliver it.”