The new chairman of the East Central region of the National Farmers Union of Scotland is Perthshire livestock farmer Roddy Kennedy, of Borlick, Aberfeldy.
David Andrews caught up with him to ask about the issues the union will have to face in the coming months.
Q What are the main challenges facing the union just now?
A At the moment we still have to see a great number of the details of the new Common Agricultural Policy. It is already on us, but there is still so much to work out.
The Pillar Two part of the CAP which deals with rural policy is a nightmare because we will have to make sure we comply with the rules although the regulations are not yet firmly in place.
Q Is the worry that farmers have to comply with inspections?
A We have always had to deal with inspections. If someone turns up at nine o’clock and says ‘we are here to carry out an inspection’, we just have to comply.
One example of the rules we have to comply with deals with livestock sales where there are only three days to register a change of ownership of an animal.
That is not three working days, so if a sale is made on a Friday it has to be registered by Monday and so it must be done online.
That is just one example of the ‘gold plating’ of regulation that we face.
Another is not being allowed to cultivate within two metres of a hedge or dyke.
We used to cultivate as close as possible to the edges of fields, but not now.
We have been told that, for this year only, since a lot of ploughing has already been done, if we have ploughed up closer it can be left fallow or put into green crop.
Q Do you hope to see a simplification of the CAP, or are we just listening to empty promises from politicians?
A There is talk about this. Phil Hogan, the EU Agricultural Commissioner, wants to simplify the policy, as do some of our MEPs.
It seems to me that, despite the promises, regulations have become even more complex.
Brian Pack has issued a report on cutting red tape with lots of recommendations, and I would like to see these proposals taken up.
Farmers are also considering the proposals in the Scottish Rural Development Programme and wondering if they are just too complicated.
Those that are interested will join up, but others will not. It is not that they cannot be bothered. It is because it is too confusing.
The last SRDP was too complicated, and people who fell foul of the requirements were penalised.
Q The union is also facing other major issues such as tenancy reform and land use. How do you see these?
A These are big issues with potentially lots of changes. There is a need for clarity on tenancies so that the sector will be active, but there is a huge amount to do to get there.
I hope the legislative compilers will make a good job of any changes in the law and not leave loopholes for people to get around.
If the 2003 Agricultural Holdings Act had been carried through properly there might not have been the need for the current review.
There is a great deal to do in the next year, and I hope any changes in legislation are not rushed. Personally, I would hope to see two separate pieces of legislation; one on agricultural holdings and one on land reform.
I think the agricultural holdings legislation is too important to be considered as just an add-on to land reform law.
Q You also have changes coming in from the EU on Less Favoured Areas, don’t you?
A The plan is to create Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) by 2018, and there will be a lot of work to do to get there.
Union staff members have already been out to Brussels on the issue and they seem to have had a good reception.
EU officials realise Scotland is different, with 85% of its land classified as Less Favoured. Any changes to designation in the move to ANC will be hard to take, especially as the support scheme for farming in those areas is working well.
It is interesting to note the Irish are already talking about headage payments in the next CAP review, so we may be looking for problems that might not appear because if headage support comes in and we have ANC we, in Scotland, could be ahead of the game.
The Irish seem to be able to see changes that are coming in Europe, unlike the UK Government.
Q Describe your own farming enterprise.
A We have a beef suckler herd, mostly consisting of Continental crosses.
We also have a flock of commercial cross sheep.
We finish most of the stock on the farm.
We have been tempted to go into a native beef breed, but it wouldn’t suit our system of farming.
Q How did you get involved in the union?
A I went along to meetings of the Aberfeldy branch. I just sat quietly at the back, but now I am in the front.
I feel we could do more to get young people involved. I know they can be busy with work and family, but the union can and does make a difference
Now that I am on the union’s board of directors I am amazed at the range of issues we have to deal with.
Meetings are pretty intense and cover all sectors of the industry.
While there are pressure groups dealing with their own interests, the union supports every sector.
If anyone asks “what will it do for me?” they would soon find out if they joined.
We are lucky in the East Central region of the union as we have a good branch set up and we have good local secretaries recruiting members.
Q As for the environment, have you any concerns in this area?
A One problem we face is the introduction of previously extinct species.
We have seen sea eagles being brought back to Scotland and now we are seeing the effects of beavers coming into this area.
In East Central, the latter introduction could be a huge problem.
The beavers do not enhance the environment in areas like this. They are actually destroying the riparian native woodland alongside watercourses, as well as damaging river banks.
At an open day recently at Ardler it was unbelievable to see the negative effect beavers were having on that good arable land.
I did not think they would do damage on the Tay, but now we are seeing damage being done locally which will be very serious for our industry.
Q So there are beavers in your area?
A Yes. They have been seen at Kenmore and Kinloch Rannoch and they are now heading up the Earn.
Until they get to an area and colonise it, people do not realise what damage they can do.
A few years ago we heard of them at Ballinluig and Logierait, and now the mess they are making there is pretty serious.
That is not an arable area but a livestock one. The trouble is people see them as lovely, cuddly animals.
Q And do you have sea eagles in your area?
A They have been
seen, and some of the hill sheep men are claiming there are far more ewes coming off the hill without lambs.
There were always one or two but now there are many more, and sea eagles could be causing that loss of lambs.
We always did lose a few lambs in the hills, so it is difficult precisely measure the scale of the problem.