Rural Payments and Services

Commenting on the June 2015 Agricultural Census results, which have been published today, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:

“These statistics provide a snapshot of Scottish agriculture and, as in previous years, they are helpful in highlighting important trends in the sector.

“The headline figures about reductions in potato and poultry production are disappointing but should come as no surprise to anyone. What we are seeing is the impact of last year’s collapse in potato prices across Europe - caused by falling consumer demand for fresh potatoes - and restructuring in Scotland’s poultry processing sector, which have both been well documented.

“This market volatility underlines the need to build greater resilience right throughout supply chains in Scotland – and the action the Scottish Government is taking to support Scottish agriculture at this time is aimed at doing just that.

“I am pleased to see signs that livestock numbers are starting to stabilise. This suggests that our targeted support for beef and sheep through the Common Agricultural Policy, and our multi-million pound investment in the new pig processing plant in Brechin, are beginning to pay dividends.

“The decrease in cereals, especially barley, is another indication of the impact of Europe’s three crop rule. The Scottish Government continues to push hard in Europe for equivalence measures that will allow Scottish farmers to choose alternative ways of meeting their crop diversification requirements.

“I also note there has been a further reduction in the amount of agricultural land that is rented out in Scotland, and the changes to agricultural holdings legislation contained in the Land Reform Bill should help to address this continuing stagnation in the tenanted sector.”