Crofters ‘need right outcome on CAP’

Tavish Scott.

MSP Tavish Scott is meeting agriculture industry leaders today to discuss how the new Common Agriculture Policy  will affect every crofter in Shetland.

Rural Affairs Minister Richard Lochhead is due to make a Parliamentary statement to Holyrood on Wednesday about the new CAP.

Shetland MSP Tavish Scott met Mr Lochhead last Friday and is meeting Shetland industry leaders today before the crucial announcement over how farm subsidies will be allocated between 2015-2020.

Mr Scott said: “Having met the agriculture minister in the last few days I know that there are still important decisions for government to take. The changes on how payments are made to crofters are vitally important for Shetland.

“We need to ensure that payments support active agriculture, new young people who want to get into crofting and the livestock producers across the isles who are the engine room of the agriculture economy.

“Crofters put these subsidies into the isles’ economy to pay for feed, machinery, fertiliser and the running of our local mart and abattoir. So an investment in agriculture helps the entire isles economy. I want to make sure that the new CAP meets Shetland needs so meeting with the local industry prior to the announcement in Parliament this week is very important.”