CAP Reform, the continued pressure of external costs and the lack of price signals from the marketplace have all culminated in an uncertain future for Scotland’s farmers and crofters.

In an effort to ease the burden that this creates, NFU Scotland Highland region have decided to provide a forum for delivering information to assist producers make those ever increasing business decisions.

This forum, a continuation of the Farming for the Future project which has already had proven success in Orkney, is today being launched in Highland Region.

The balance between specialist advice and practical realities must be delivered and for this reason each event uses a range of speakers from SAC specialists to local vets, local butchers and farmers from other areas of the country. The focus has been firmly placed on allowing farmers to have a forum for sharing ideas as well as receiving information from others. The benefits of networking are advocated in all other industries and Farming for the Future aims to demonstrate the crucial benefits of social interaction to agriculture.

The first day of the project, expected to take place in October, will concentrate on Bull Management and it will be followed by other livestock topics including Cow Management, Feeding for the Market and Tup Management.

It is hoped that these will then be followed by a series of arable events tailored according to member demand.

Speaking today about the project, Colin Manson, Regional Board Chairman, said:

“Having been up and seen the success of the Farming for the Future project in Orkney, I was keen to see if that could be replicated in Highland. We conducted a consultation process with members and found that at grass roots level the membership is keen to go forward with the project and to take advantage of it in order to further their businesses.

“So far, in Orkney, they have found that engaging directly with members in a practical sense has a real impact when it comes to helping them to develop their businesses. In today’s agricultural climate we must focus on producing for the marketplace and I believe that the project will help people to do just that.

“The Black Isle Show provides us with a superb platform on which to launch the project and to provide members will more information. As in Orkney, we are very grateful to the European Social Fund which will fund the project.”

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