Crofting in the Outer Hebrides in ascendency says SAC Consulting
"Duncan Macintyre (l) and Iain MacMillan (r) from SAC Consulting Stornoway"
SAC Consulting鈥檚 team in the Highlands and Islands鈥� region is seeing a renewed interest in crofting.
Despite the challenge of farming some of the worst soils in the UK, agricultural inputs costing double of those sourced on the mainland and the tempestuous weather, crofting on the Hebridean islands of Lewis and Harris is in the ascendency, according to SAC Consulting鈥檚 Iain Macmillan.
SAC Consulting is part of Scotland鈥檚 Rural College (伊人直播) and advises around 70% of Scotland鈥檚 crofts and farm businesses.
Iain is manager of the advisory organisation鈥檚 office in Stornoway and runs 80 breeding ewes on his own croft.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen a positivity about crofting here that I鈥檝e not seen in my lifetime. Crofters are working to build sheds, rear animals and buy their inputs together, as well as diversifying into additional new business ideas,鈥� he says.
鈥淭he mix of people of all ages and backgrounds, plus the need to work together to overcome the adversities here is having interesting consequences, like redundant crofts coming back into production.鈥�
Farming the 鈥渞ubbish鈥� land on the islands is a constant wrangle for crofters and the main thrust of the advice given by Iain and his colleague, Duncan Macintyre.
鈥淭he costs of farming here are colossal, a big bale of silage costing 拢20 on the mainland is currently trading for 拢50 per bale here; and a pallet of feed will cost around 拢45 more,鈥� he adds. 鈥淭here are two wholesalers here trying to create a fairer market, but it simply costs more to produce or get products here.鈥�
But, as is often the case with adversity, people investigate other ways, he says.
鈥淲e鈥檙e advising crofters who want to buy and store feed together, or house fattening cattle together, to use the funding to work together, as villagers, to build communal sheds.鈥�
With CAGS grants limited to 拢25,000 each year for two years and sheds costing at least 拢30,000 to 拢45,0000, he suggests that these decisions also make business sense.
鈥淭he quality of livestock has improved dramatically here, and people are very conscious that to make the best prices, they need to prepare good stock to sell 鈥� either as stores or fat,鈥� he notes.
He adds that the collaborative thinking is extending to a strong willingness to take the management of traditional common grazing areas into more progressive and valuable use, including accessing the 80% Common Grazing grants which provide 80% grants of up to 拢125,000 over two years.
鈥淲e ran six common grazing workshops with the Crofting Commission late last year, they were really well attended with really proactive discussions into the importance of having a plan for what to do with income gained from the sale of land for housing and Agri Environment scheme options in partnership with the likes of the RSPB.
鈥淔or many the meetings brought really positive lightbulb moments, like what other diversified businesses could we run here? It鈥檚 really amazing how positive the business discussions have been.鈥�
He added that the open discussions at these meetings homed in on the need to manage common grazing better, including involving young people keen to become crofters and to make their livings from the Hebridean Islands.
鈥淭he opportunities don鈥檛 stop at crofting, successes like the Harris Gin and the Hebridean Seaweed companies have been started and developed by local people, many of them local young people.鈥�
Additional grant aid, such as the Croft House Improvement Grant, can also help local communities make remote areas more attractive to live and work, Iain concludes.
Duncan Macintyre has recently joined the Stornoway office team, having previously worked for NFU Mutual for the Western Isles and as NFU Group Secretary for the region. Duncan has replaced Rob Black, who has now moved to the Oban SAC Consulting office.
Posted by 伊人直播 on 12/02/2020
