Key agriculture moments in 2024 including inheritance tax shock

It all seemed so relatively calm, apart from the weather, for Scotland’s agriculture industry earlier in the year.

That’s with the benefit of hindsight after what’s been happening since THAT Autumn Budget.

Join me for a look back at some of the key events for our farming and crofting communities over the past 12 months.

January

Aberdeen-Angus led the way at the Orkney Bull Breeders’ annual show and sale when the champion and reserve both sold for a new centre breed record of 6,200gns. The event, staged at Orkney Auction Mart in Kirkwall, attracted an increased entry of bulls on the year, with a 90% clearance achieved.
Island farmers and crofters faced a major blow following an announcement from Dingwall and Highland Marts that it was withdrawing its auctioneering services from Lochmaddy Auction Mart on North Uist. It said factors including declining livestock numbers, staffing, increased running costs and stock being consigned to mainland markets all contributed to the decision.

North-east co-operative ANM Group expanded its operations into the central belt with its acquisition of Glasgow-based auction business Sweeney Kincaid. The Aberdeenshire-headquartered farmers’ co-operative said it would open more diverse routes to market in and from the central belt, across the south of Scotland and north of England.
NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy urged the Scottish Government to “ditch the Greens” and listen to the “true” economic drivers and custodians of the land. This was one of his five key demands as he addressed union members, farmers and crofters on the first day of the union’s annual conference in Glasgow.

Perthshire firm Morris Leslie Plant Hire celebrated its 50th birthday by placing an order for a fleet of new JCB machines worth £68 million. The deal came less than a year after the business ordered £87.5m-worth of JCB machines from the same dealer, Scot JCB.
North-east agricultural machinery businesses which had traded since 1907 collapsed into administration due to “cash flow issues”. Balgownie Ltd and Balgownie Rentals Ltd appointed Richard Bathgate and Graeme Bain of Johnston Carmichael as joint administrators on March 15. The two companies operated depots in Inverurie and Turriff.

The Scottish Government launched a long-awaited consultation on bovine electronic identification (EID). Ministers said they were considering whether the use of EID should be made mandatory, and how new rules could be best introduced.
Relentless rain took its toll on farmers and crofters desperately trying to get seed in the ground and save their newborn lambs. Livestock producers were left with no option but to hold ewes and lambs inside for longer, using up every free space for housing.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) said the resignation of First Minister Humza Yousaf was a “huge blow to any kind of continuity” in developments for the Scottish agricultural industry. NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said the sector was facing an array of challenges, yet the response from Holyrood ministers had been “lacklustre”.
A young farmer from Fife was appointed national chairman of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC). Ally Brunton, 27, of East Fife Junior Agricultural Club, was elected to the post at the association’s annual general meeting after serving as SAYFC’s vice-chairman for the past year.

Supermarket giant Asda unveiled a partnership with Scottish grower Stewarts of Tayside to sell more than 5.3 million locally produced strawberries across the UK ahead of Wimbledon. The business, operated by Liam Stewart and his family, is the largest independent grower of strawberries in Scotland and has supplied Asda stores for more than 25 years.
Organisers of this year’s Royal Highland Show hailed the event a success, with more than 220,000 visitors passing through the gates over its four days. Scorching temperatures greeted the finale day at Ingliston, Edinburgh, where more than 6,000 livestock and 2,500 competitors from across the UK had spent the past few days competing for top titles. A total of 327 prestigious trophies and a prize fund of £208,073 were competed for and awarded.

With the show season in full swing and thousands of people having already flocked to big events across Fife, Angus and Aberdeenshire, it was the turn of Nain, Caithness and Sutherland to get in on the act. At Nairn, the champion of champions cup headed for Tomintoul and M and M Robertson, of Easter Fodderletter Farm. A heifer calf called Jojo took top billing at the weather-blessed Caithness Show, where forecasts of regular downpours proved wide of the mark. A shirt-sleeved crowd of more than 6,000 people enjoyed dry, humid conditions. And a Clydesdale filly from Eric Johnstone, of Muir of Ord, was crowned champion of champions at Sutherland Show on Dornoch Links.
A Moray farmer told us how he had a narrow escape when he was attacked by a cow as alarming new figures from the Farm Safety Foundation showed the agriculture industry to be the most dangerous in the UK. A total of 35 people were accidentally killed on British farms during 2023-24. Jock Gibson told us he was badly injured by a protective 600kg (1,323lb) cow while calving.

Agricultural events included the Black Isle, Perth, Turriff and Orkney shows. The two-day gathering in Perth featured the highest number of entries in the livestock classes in many years. Visitors watched parades of prizewinning animals and enjoyed everything from vintage tractor displays to falconry and sheep shearing. Turriff’s popular annual event, the biggest of its kind in Scotland, celebrated its 160th anniversary.
The Blair Castle International Horse Trials bowed out from its traditional home after 35 years. But Scotland’s premier annual equestrian event will stay in Perth and Kinross after it was confirmed that from 2025 it will be held at Scone Palace.

The 45th Scottish Vintage Tractor and Engine Club Farming Yesteryear and Vintage Rally event drew nearly 5,000 people to Scone Palace.
Buoyant trade ensured a record average at Kelso Ram Sales. A total of 3,254 animals sold to a top of £35,000 at Britain’s biggest one-day tup event.

In poultry-related news, Brackla Farm, near Nairn, won this year’s Royal Northern Agricultural Society good practice award. And Aberdeenshire egg producer Farmlay said it would nearly double its output next year after investing £2.4m in a new hi-tech grading machine.
Scottish farmers braved wintry weather to travel to London and show their support for counterparts throughout the UK in a mass lobby against the controversial inheritance tax changes.

Pressure was growing on ministers to put proposed Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme changes on hold. There are widespread concerns the size of the nation’s cow herd may plummet by as many as 25,000 animals a year.
Farmers and crofters from across Scotland turned up in their droves for a mass lobby in Edinburgh. They all wanted one thing – a fair deal for the industry in this month’s Scottish budget.