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Moredun Annual Report, 2003: so this is what the
director thinks about the future of Scottish farming
Dr James Irvine
Teviot Scientific at Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie,
Perthshire
Filed 07 July 04
©www.land-care.org.uk
Professor Quintin McKellar, in his director's
report which opens the Moredun Annual Report for 2003 (1),
states the following in this first paragraph in which he makes the
Common Agricultural Reform (CAP) his top topic:
"I firmly believe that our industry will survive these changes
and emerge stronger as a result of them. The move to single farm
subsidy payments, based in Scotland on historic costs and elsewhere
in the UK on hybrid mixtures of historic and flat rate regional
payments will allow farmers to do what they do best - supply the
market with good wholesome food at competitive prices. There will
be a change in farming practice and in the overall complexion
of farming enterprises, with a small number of large and highly
efficient producers supplying a commodity market and accounting
for the vast majority (perhaps up to 80%) of output. Other enterprises
will act as rural custodians supplying niche markets or will serve
the interests of hobby farmers or the leisure industries. Niche
markets may be specialised, but they also will be competitive
and these enterprises, like the commodity producers, will have
to be efficient"
In his second paragraph he has this to say about
the expansion of the EU:
"Entry of the accession countries into the EU may have an
even more profound long-term effect on British agriculture than
the Mid Term Review of the CAP. The introduction of Poland in
2004 and Romania in 2007 will vastly increase the supply side
of the food chain; Poland produces roughly four times as many
pigs as the UK and the same amount of potatoes as the rest of
the EU put together. Romania has approximately four million farmers,
with farms averaging two hectares in size and although relatively
inefficient at present it has a similar landmass to the UK and
could clearly become a major food producer. Fortunately, the accession
countries bring with them large populations, which will increase
the demand as well as the supply side of the food chain. The impact
that they make on agriculture is therefore not likely to be immediate."
The trouble is he may be right about the complexion
of farming changing in the UK so that in the future there will be
a small number of highly efficient farms supplying a commodity market,
while the rest of us are bunched as rural custodians (park keepers),
hobby farmers or providers of leisure facilities or suppliers to
niche agricultural markets.
But the professor is wrong in his assessment that
UK - and particularly Scottish - livestock farming will emerge stronger
as a result of these changes even if it does survive. What is at
high risk is Scotland's reputation for quality beef. Much of the
rest of Europe - and elsewhere in the world - can produce commodity
beef cheaper than in Scotland. To commit Scotland to producing commodity
beef - with quality described as a niche market and the rest of
us as rural custodians or hobbyists - is to seriously damage one
of the few remaining Scottish icons. The EU has ruined Scottish
fishing to the benefit of its European competitors. Now it is the
turn of Scottish livestock farming to be likewise sacrificed for
the benefit of others both within and outside the expanded EU.
Yet the professor seems to have a glimmer of insight
when he says that this will not happen with immediate effect. But
happen it will, unless our Scottish Executive can listen to more
enlightened advice.
In his third paragraph the director reports that
the Moredun has responded to consultations on the animal health
and welfare strategy and the tuberculosis strategy, but
unfortunately he does not indicate the manner of these responses.
The former is essentially an ideological wish list without substance
(2), while the latter is little else than
a long-running farce between the interests of animal health and
those of conservationists ever since the wise Lord Zuckerman spelt
out what was needed to be done away back in 1980 (3).
His fourth paragraph treats the UK farmer to the
long established fact that many nematode parasites (worms) are resistant
to antihelminthics as though it were something new. While
basic research into how resistance can come about is undoubtedly
important, something more immediate would be the development of
new antihelminthics - an area of research that is apparently neglected
but could have immense benefit. He admits that sheep scab
is now endemic but fails to go into any depth as to why this is
so (4). The prospect of an effective vaccine
is encouraging. For the present there are serious limitations as
to what realistically can be done.
The rest of his report touches on orf virus,
louping ill and Jaagsiekte and Chlamydophila
abortus. It also refers to the expanding involvement of
the Moredun in commercial activities, involving contracts from pharmaceutical
companies.
Scrapie and TSE Research
This part of the report, amounting to only some
350 words, includes the statement:
"As the EU wish to establish active surveillance for TSE
infection in all ruminant species destined for human consumption,
it has been proposed that red deer should also be tested. However,
as there are no known BSE-infected tissues for red deer, which
will be essential to validate a suitable test for this surveillance,
it is necessary to generate suitable tissues from experimentally
infected deer. Moredun, jointly with the VLA Lasswade was successful
in securing a £900,000 contract from the Food Standards
Agency (FSA) in 2003 to carry out this study"
It almost seems that the need for funding takes
precedence over an appropriate selection of projects to compete
for.
General Comments on the Annual Report
If all the glossy pictures were taken out, the
report would look decidedly bare. Why is it necessary to have so
much expensive hype rather than substance? Without the glossy pictures
folk would be able to read it on their computers rather than wait
an age for it to load.
As the Royal Society has emphasised in its report
into diseases of livestock (5), good animal
health and welfare can only be achieved if there is a profitable
livestock industry. Added to that, good animal health and welfare
in farm livestock can only be achieved if the veterinary profession
shows sufficient interest so as to provide a competent service (6).
It seems that an opportunity for education has
not been used to the full. Perhaps Moredun should take a leaf out
of the Scottish Crop Research Institute in terms of how to write
an annual report.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Moredun Annual Report 2003
http://www.moredun.org.uk/pdf/annrep2003.pdf (11.2MB)
2. Irvine, James (2004). Animal
health and welfare strategy for the UK
See ANIMAL HEALTH Homepage, filed 26 June 04, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
3. Irvine, James (2003). TB in
cattle and badgers: Zuckerman Report (1080) revisited
See TUBERCULOSIS Homepage, filed 10 March 03, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
4. Arbuckle, Andrew (2002). 'Organic
farmers will have to get real' says Professor McKellar
Courier, 18th December 2002
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 23 December 02, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
5. Follet, Brian (2002). Royal
Society inquiry into infectious diseases of livestock.
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/inquiry/
6. Irvine, James (2003). Veterinary
services to the cattle and sheep sectors. SAC workshop 2nd June
2003, Norton House, Ingliston
See ANIMAL HEALTH Homepage, filed 13 June 2003, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
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