Rural Payments and Services

Commenting following the first meeting of the Agricultural Weather Advisory Panel, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy Fergus Ewing said:

“Having announced the formation of the new agricultural weather advisory panel at AgriScot, I am delighted to confirm that the panel met for the first time earlier today.

“Drawing on expertise from across our agricultural sector, the panel, when triggered, will act as a taskforce for rapidly sharing information, best practice and encouraging co-operation across industry to help farmers and crofters respond effectively to challenging weather conditions, both in the short term and in building longer term resilience.

“With some parts of Scotland experiencing the wettest weather for 80 years, I am pleased that a range of stakeholders have agreed to participate in the panel. This panel has an important role to play in providing advice to the agricultural sector and I look forward to working with its members in the months ahead.”

Background

Chris McDonald, SAC

Stephen Field, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Mags Granger, RSABI

Neil Wilson, HSBC

Scott Walker and Gary Mitchell, NFUS

Kevin Mills, Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)