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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 10 July 2025
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Displaying 2160 contributions

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Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Petition

Meeting date: 3 May 2023

Jim Fairlie

However, it is public. You can go there, pay your money and walk through the door, so the public can go.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Petition

Meeting date: 3 May 2023

Jim Fairlie

I do not know whether we will come back to that issue. I might come back—

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Petition

Meeting date: 3 May 2023

Jim Fairlie

Okay. You may have given a lot of the answers in your report, but unfortunately we only had it about 20 minutes before the meeting. We will have to digest it before we can come back to you.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Future Agriculture Policy

Meeting date: 26 April 2023

Jim Fairlie

When you say, “tightening the home market,” are you talking about reducing production?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Future Agriculture Policy

Meeting date: 26 April 2023

Jim Fairlie

I am very disappointed that you do not mention Galloways. I do like my Galloway cow. I know that I was very specific in that. Is there anything else that others want to talk about on natural issues? I go back to traditional breeds wintering out better, rather than needing to be in sheds. Is there anything else that the rest of the panel wants to add to that?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Petition

Meeting date: 26 April 2023

Jim Fairlie

Forgive me if it appeared that I was trying to demonise one side against the other; I am not. I am purely trying to get an understanding of why there is an issue about dogs racing. There clearly is an issue, because we have people petitioning to get it banned. I know, having worked with dogs my entire life, the care and attention and everything else that is put into that. Why would you then want to do something that will make that dog ill, hurt or whatever else? Working as a sheep farmer, I have had dogs killed on the farm. I understand that these things happen, but why is there a need to stop greyhound racing when people are so passionate about looking after their animals in the way that you tell me they are? Where does that issue come from?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Future Agriculture Policy

Meeting date: 26 April 2023

Jim Fairlie

Convener, you asked the panel whether we could do anything with the bill. Given that Brexit is clearly the biggest cause of the lack of labour coming into the country compared to what we had previously, how could the bill alter that, given that immigration is reserved?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Future Agriculture Policy

Meeting date: 26 April 2023

Jim Fairlie

The CCC is a statutory adviser to the Scottish and UK Governments. The Scottish Parliament signed off the Climate Change Act 2019, so it is clearly part of the equation. However, I take your earlier point about the science. When we had an evidence session with the CCC, it said that older grazed grass will probably sequester less carbon, but there is no actual science on that.

When we are talking about resilience, we must talk about whether there is a long-term future for the livestock sector in Scotland, given the numbers that you have just given us. Do you know of any work that is being done to look at the science that will probably tell us that old grass sequesters less carbon?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Future Agriculture Policy

Meeting date: 26 April 2023

Jim Fairlie

I want to talk about natural impacts such as weather, pests and things like that, from a livestock producer’s point of view. A couple of years ago, the Galloway Cattle Society used a phrase, “The future is traditional”, to promote native breeds and their ability to outwinter—there is resilience and profitability. I go back to the question that I asked you earlier, Kate, about whether we are judging on eating quality or shape—my question is focused on cattle and sheep again, I am afraid. What role do the traditional native breeds have in ensuring that we have long-term profitability?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Future Agriculture Policy

Meeting date: 26 April 2023

Jim Fairlie

I am certainly not asking you to kick the supermarkets. I want to get to the factual position of how the farming community sells its products to be profitable. It is either through Government support or through the market or it is a combination of both. If the export market is constrained in any way, the supermarkets go to war with each other, and it is always the primary producer that pays the price for that, in terms of how much the supermarkets take out of the marketplace. Do supermarkets have a responsibility to play more of a role in making sure that there is food resilience for the people of the country?