Environmental funding welcomed but farmers call for clarity
BACKING: Farmers will be supported to improve public access for activities such as walking.
A funding channel that supports environmental land management is to reopen after months of intense lobbying by Scottish farming, crofting and environmental organisations.
The Scottish Government announced a new round of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) will open in late January – but only for targeted range of options, and without any detail on what funding is to be made available.
The AECS will focus on designated sites, organics, management supporting farmland waders, corn buntings and corncrakes, slurry stores and improving public access for activities such as walking and cycling.
SCOTLAND S soft fruit sector is heavily dependent on experienced migrant labour THERE WILL be up to 30,000 UK visas available for next year’s fruit and veg pickers, the UK government has announced. However, this still falls short of the 70,000 or so migrant workers that the industry employed under European Union freedom of movement. The announcement extends the Seasonal Workers Pilot, originally launched in 2019, and expands it from 10,000 to 30,000 visas available for those wanting to come and work on UK farms for a period of up to six months. With an eye on that 70,000 figure, the UK government has also announced that it will build on this year’s Pick for Britain campaign and actively promote the recruitment and retention of domestic seasonal workers in 2021.
Martin Kennedy set to become new NFU Scotland president
22 December 2020 |
Martin Kennedy has served as the union s vice president for four years
Highland farmer Martin Kennedy is set to become the new president of NFU Scotland as he will stand unchallenged for the position at the union’s AGM in February.
Martin Kennedy, an upland tenant farmer from Highland Perthshire, has served as vice president for four years.
If approved by the union’s council, he will be elected to the post of president for a two-year term.
No other nominations for president were received by the deadline of Thursday 17 December, NFU Scotland confirmed.
NFU Scotland to appoint Martin Kennedy as president >More in
Highland Perthshire farmer Martin Kennedy will stand unchallenged for the position of president of NFU Scotland (NFUS).
Mr Kennedy, who has served as vice-president for four years, will be elected at the union’s annual meeting, to be staged online, on Friday 12 February 2021.
He will succeed incumbent Andrew McCornick, who has nearly completed his maximum allowed term of four years.
Mr Kennedy is a tenant farmer and farms at Lurgan Farm, Edradynate, Aberfeldy, with his wife Jane and their three daughters, Jillian, Katrina and Yvonne. They have 600 ewes and 60 cows on the farm rising from 800ft to over 2,500ft.