Seòmar agus comataidhean

I do not want to set youse against each other, but where should financial support be targeted in order to allow Scotland to maintain a sustainable farming industry and to reach the targets for climate emissions?

Great. So you will get no support whatsoever.

Claire, I have a question for you because you said something earlier about science being behind the curve. What do hill and upland farmers think the baseline measures should be? Does the science match what your studies have told you?

Indeed.

How do we do that, if farmers are not taking up those measures? The farmers have to participate so that we can get that baseline measure, in order to allow us to start.

Sorry, Chris—my point came back to me. I apologise.

We have already heard that we are at a tipping point for reaching critical mass. As the industry works towards reducing methane, farmers will exodus from the beef sector in numbers if they cannot make that pay. If it is simply not viable, they will not do it. However, if we take the time to allow that science to develop, we will make sure that that critical mass stays where it is. If we do not, we will be importing those products from other parts of the world. Have you worked out which one is, on balance, more favourable?

The frustration that I have with this session is the fact that we are speaking to representatives of five different sectors all at the one time. Those sectors all have different baselines and different required outcomes. We could have had a session with each of you, because the picture is just too complex.

However, I will try to be as concise as I can be, because we are short of time. Jackie McCreery talked about having a baseline measure. How do we get one, given that different farmers are starting at different levels across all sectors? How does the Government find a baseline level to work from? Andy, I will start with you, because it is clear that you would like to respond.

Okay. I will move on.

Who has not moved enough with the times?

I have one other question, which is about diversification. I promise I will be quick.

You talk about reducing nitrogen waste. We have a massive issue with food waste in this country. A plant near where I live is turning food waste into liquid nitrogen to feed grass. Does that work on arable?