Why government must act to protect Scotland's wonderful agricultural Shows
The threat posed by bluetongue disease is only adding to the difficulties of the farming community
Whether you are a dyed-in-the-tweed countryside dweller or not, there are very few of us who have not gone to one of the myriad agricultural Shows (with a capital S) that are a mainstay of any respectable Scottish summer.
It is an experience we are all familiar with, even if it has changed somewhat over the years. With both of my sons having left home, County Show Day in Orkney has a very different rhythm than it used to. It is amazing how much ground you can cover and how many people you can talk to when you do not have to navigate the fairground rides or avoid getting caught in your tenth bottle stall in a row.
The tradition of the agriculture Show is much-beloved but it is more fragile than we might like to think. If we are going to pass the tradition on to future generations, then our governments are going to have to step up and support rural communities better.
Farmers forced to diversify
These shows say a lot about where our communities are now and where they are going in the future. When I go to the major events in the isles and across the country, the quality amongst the livestock champions and other competitors is always strong but you also get a sense of the changes coming through rural businesses.
I am not sure that even a few years ago anyone could have imagined that Orkney farmers would have successful side-lines selling both wind turbines and hot tubs, but you will find both on the showground in Kirkwall. These changes appear in part because of local ingenuity but also because making a proper living through farming alone has become more difficult and more vulnerable to disruption.
Some of that disruption is hard to avoid. I spent Wednesday meeting farmers and other participants at the Great Yorkshire Show (for we are not alone in these traditions), where the usual Scottish competitors were sadly notable for their absence. Restrictions on livestock movements to reduce the spread of the bluetongue virus meant that very few folk from north of the Border were in attendance this year, save those acting as judges.
Fragility of rural businesses
Tempting though it might be to claim these restrictions as a conspiracy to stop the Scottish farmers from sweeping every competition category in Harrogate, bluetongue is no joke. Farmers have long memories when it comes to animal diseases and know that prevention is better – and less expensive – than what comes after it.
Our governments have a role to play in helping to mitigate this sort of disruption, but they also have a duty to avoid piling on more trouble for our communities – whether that is through unhelpful tax hikes or short-sighted changes in regulation. Rural businesses are part of what defines our country but they are fragile – and if they are knocked down, the effects ripple across the whole community.
It is in everyone’s interest to keep our agricultural economy going strong, local food producers doing what they do best, and Show season running every year – bottle stalls and all. Whether you live in the countryside or in a city, that ought to be something on which we can all agree.
Alistair Carmichael is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland
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