THE CROFTER Rooted in Our Community
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THE CROFTER rooted in our community The journal of the Scottish Crofting Foundation, the only member-led organisation dedicated to the promotion of crofting and the largest association of small-scale food producers in the UK JUNE 2009 Number 83 Commission releases LFA ideas EFORM OF the so-called Intermediate LFA measure – the Rone currently used for support to areas with natural handicaps here in Scotland – draws closer with the publication by the European Commission of a communication on how to improve the targeting of the measure. Draft Crofting Reform Standard delimitation criteria Responding to stinging criticism from the court of auditors and following on Bill imminent from a lengthy period of discussion and ROFTERS WILL be waiting with much anticipation for the publication of the Government’s consultation, the Commission proposes forthcoming consultation paper on the draft Crofting Reform Bill. The consultation paper the standardisation of criteria for the Cwas to be published as The Crofter went to press and there will be three months for delimitation of LFAs, to be called Natural crofters and the wider public to comment. Handicap Areas (NHAs) from now on. Last October, the Government issued a formal response to the final report of the Committee All socio-economic criteria have been of Inquiry on Crofting (Shucksmith report). They said they would publish a draft bill to make the dropped – only soil, climate and terrain necessary changes needed to the Crofting Acts. Once the bill is published the Government will can now be used to justify support through be organising a series of public meetings across the crofting counties to discuss the proposals the measure and the thresholds for these with crofters. are, it is proposed, to be set at a EU level. We expect the bill to contain proposals in five key areas. The possibilities of difficulties arising First, the Government said it would reconstitute the Crofters Commission to make it more from this major change is, we understand, democratic, transparent and accountable. It will set out to create up to six area committees the main reason why the Commission of the Crofters Commission covering (1) Orkney and Shetland (2) Western Isles (3) Northern has published a communication before Highlands (4) Southern Highlands (5) Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber and (6) Argyll, Bute, Arran moving to issuing legislative proposals. and Cumbrae. The Government response suggests that these area committees will have a They are asking member states to trial majority of elected crofters on them and will exercise all the Commission’s powers in the local the suggested criteria and thresholds and areas, with appeals going to the full Commission in Inverness. We shall be looking closely at are promising to take note of the resulting the role the Government sees for crofting assessors and whether the areas covered by the new feedback. committees make sense. Seen from a Scottish perspective, it is Another area that would require changes to legislation is the Government’s proposals for inconceivable that most of the current LFA a new Register of Crofts. The SCF has long campaigned for a new map-based register that will fall foul of the proposals, with areas would help to reduce the number of disputes over the boundaries of crofts. The Committee of with slopes >15% (1 in 7) and areas with Inquiry proposed that the keeper of the Registers of Scotland should be responsible for such poorly drained soils and sandy soils all Continued on page 3 being eligible. On the other hand, the criteria are explicitly biased towards difficulties posed for crop production, meaning that it is possible at least that some areas which are extremely exposed but otherwise potentially productive are excluded. Peripherality dropped A major concern, but one long since clearly flagged, is the dropping of distance to market – peripherality – as a recognised Continued on page 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE • Rural development • Crofting heroes • SCF AGM • Askernish golf course • Woodland crofts • Crofter’s wife column And much more … 2 THE CROFTER, JUNE 2009 Message from the chair... realise the input of farmers and help redress the fall in stock crofters in providing wholesome numbers and maintain buyers’ healthy food while maintaining the interest at sales. environment, unfettered by crass At our recent AGM in Lewis legislation like the iniquitous EID we were delighted to have which is unnecessary, unworkable Chloe Randall, estate manager and unwanted. Double tagging with Dunlossit Estate as our mages is more than robust and more I guest speaker. She was truly acceptable. inspirational. They have built kye With European elections S their own abattoir and the highly S I WATCHED my last looming agriculture will successful Meat Islay branding lamb being born, rising be a key issue. My fellow sustainable without any real initiative. It was a meeting I Aunsteadily to his feet and director Marina Dennis had indication of what might replace found to be so eminently suited reaching for succour, all the long the opportunity to meet the it. There is a lot of lobbying to for crofters who so often bemoan hours spent over an arduous six European Commissioner for ensure Government are under our lack of opportunity. Book week period, (while being one of agriculture Marian Fischer Boel no illusions as to the threats and her for your next conference, my best lambings) has left me and left her in no doubt of the severity of our situation and SCF she will enthuse even the most tired and like the last lamb born worries that crofters have with more than plays its part in any pessimistic among you. apprehensive for the future. the present raft of legislation ongoing discussions. If, like me, you are suffering While finishers have enjoyed which emanate from people who While we have representation from the rigours of an extended phenomenal prices for cattle do not understand crofting’s on the bull hire review group lambing, any thoughts of a and sheep recently, will this contribution. She appeared to it should not be forgotten that change of vocation are soon translate to better store sales? be sympathetic to our viewpoint. this is only one element of a dispelled by the sight of healthy Will it help to slow down the Scottish Government Cabinet livestock improvement scheme. lambs frolicking in a good flush dramatic fall in numbers being Secretary Richard Lochhead was The ram hire/purchase and ewe of early grass and – oh yes, witnessed across the crofting quite candid at a recent meeting lamb retention are essential some badly needed sleep and counties in particular? that the present historical basis components in ensuring quality, those jobs I promised my wife I We call on Government to for calculating SFP will not be high health status which can would do! Scottish Crofting Foundation policy updates Bull scheme NFUS want this but the chief vet is secretary for rural affairs There are some concerns In the last issue we reported saying that the advantages do not Richard Lochhead by mid-May. that the criteria proposed that the bull scheme (the crofters’ justify the additional costs – costs The SCF put in a contribution relate mainly to conditions cattle improvement scheme) that will of course be passed on to and this is reported elsewhere which pose difficulties for the had won a reprieve. Since then the primary producer. in this issue. growing of crops and that things a review group has been set like exposure, which cause up headed by Sarah Allen, ex- problems for livestock, might not Crofters Commissioner and be properly covered. However, agricultural consultant. SCF will this exercise enables as many be represented on the review of these concerns as possible to group by our director Marina be addressed before legislation Dennis. The group will report back is brought forward. in the autumn. SCF regrets the Commission’s decision to drop Blue tongue distance or peripherality as a The compulsory vaccination criterion. However, this has programme is near completion with been clearly flagged up for the Scottish Government claiming some time and we call on the a 71% vaccination coverage and Scottish Government to take expecting 80-90% by the end of immediate action to draw up June. This sounds fine, but a note proposals for the redefinition of of caution. Is it not actually that 5.7 islands as areas with ‘specific million doses have been dispensed handicaps’ and of other parts out of 8 million and that 71% of the EID Crofting reform of upland Scotland to be doses ordered have been dispensed, The campaign to stop the As reported on pages 1 and defined as ‘mountain’ to reflect not that 71% of animals have been introduction of compulsory use of 3, the draft crofting bill was production handicaps. vaccinated? For example, if you electronic identification for sheep released recently. We also call on the Scottish have 20 lambs but need to buy a failed to get enough backing to stop Government to take this enforced LFASS 50ml bottle (as this is the smallest this from going through the meeting reform of LFA delimitation The European Commission Merial size) then 30 doses are of ministers in Brussels. As it stands to address the fundamental has released a statement on wasted. The Scottish Government’s EID will therefore be introduced problem with the current its intentions to engage with failure to order smaller bottles from next January, but we will continue scheme – that less handicapped member states in field testing Merial will result in a huge amount to urge the UK Government to use producers receive the highest the proposed new criteria for the of waste among smaller producers.