The North East Scotland Agriculture Advisory Group (NESAAG)

Aberdeenshire Council leads a major cross-sectoral forum that lobbies on behalf of the sector as well as providing support and advice both to the agricultural sector and the wider rural economy of the North East. Details of group membership below.

NESAAG Consultation Response to Pack Inquiry Interim Report
NESAAG Evidence to Pack Inquiry into Future Support for Agriculture in Scotland
NESAAG Meeting 18th September 2009
NESAAG Response to Implementation of Health Check Consultation Questions 9-20
Papers for NESAAG Meeting at Woodhill House on 29th May 2009
Plant Protection Products (PPP) lobbying update – reply from DG SANCO
Plant Protection Products (PPP) lobbying
Agriculture in Aberdeenshire - Looking to the Future
Thainstone Event - 4th December 2008
Response to the Scottish Government Consultation On The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme in Scotland (2010-2013)
Response To The Scottish Government Consultation On The Cap Health Check

NESAAG Consultation Response to Pack Inquiry Interim Report

The NESAAG consultation response to the Pack Inquiry Interim Report can be found below. The Inquiry Team will produce a Final Report on Future Support for Agriculture in Scotland in June 2010.

NESAAG Response to Pack (pdf 90.9kb)

NESAAG Evidence to Pack Inquiry into Future Support for Agriculture in Scotland

The NESAAG response to the Call for Evidence by the Scottish Government Inquiry into Future Support for Agriculture in Scotland (Brian Pack Inquiry) can be found below. The Inquiry Team will produce an Interim Report around late December which will in turn go out to consultation and will be the subject of the next NESAAG meeting on 25th February 2010.

NESAAG Evidence to Pack Inquiry (pdf 48.4kb)

NESAAG Meeting 18th September 2009

In 2008, NESAAG commissioned a report led by Peter Cook entitled 'Agriculture in Aberdeenshire – Looking to the Future' (see below) which highlighted the vital contribution made by the meat processing sector to the agricultural industry in NE Scotland and noted the high costs of inspection and compliance which are being borne by processors on lower throughput volumes. 'Professor Charles Milne, the new Director of Food Standards Agency Scotland, comprehensively addressed these concerns at the meeting of NESAAG on 18th September 2009'. His presentation is attached'.

NESAAG Response to Implementation of Health Check Consultation
Questions 9-20

Final NESAAG Response to Health Check Consultation Q9-20 (pdf 31.1kb)

Papers for NESAAG Meeting at Woodhill House on 29th May 2009

Plant Protection Products (PPP) lobbying update – reply from DG SANCO

NESAAG has received a response to the lobbying letter sent on 8th January 2009 (see below) to the respective EU Commissioners for Health, Environment and Agriculture.

The letter refers to a report by an independent consultant which claims that the new Regulation will generate human health benefits and ‘a positive overall economical (sic) impact’ but went on to dismiss concerns that the withdrawal of certain products would result in increased food costs as ‘simplistic’.

The UK Pesticides Safety Directorate (part of Health and Safety Executive) disagrees, asserting that: ‘The amendments to the Authorisation Regulation improve to some extent on the Council’s 'common position' as regards the hazard criteria, and most of the Regulation can be accepted.

But the hazard criterion on potential human endocrine disrupters will hit UK crop yields, for no recognisable benefit to human health. The UK cannot support these measures until the Commission states clearly what their impact will be.’

The Regulation is expected to be ratified at a meeting of the Council of Ministers around 23rd - 24th March 2009. NESAAG will continue to press for all available derogations to be adopted when the Regulation is transposed into UK law.

SANCO reply (pdf 978kb)

Plant Protection Products (PPP) lobbying

NESAAG has been very active in lobbying MEPs and European Commissioners (for Environment, Health and Agriculture) to adopt a science-based approach to the new PPP Regulation, backed up by a full impact assessment of the proposed changes.

Disappointingly, the European Parliament voted on 13th January 2009 to change the basis of PPP assessment from risk-based to hazard-based with no impact assessment. Although the Regulation has still to be ratified by the Council of Ministers and implemented by individual member states, a number of products which are essential for maintaining agricultural and horticultural crop yield and quality are likely to be lost in the years ahead. Work is urgently required to identify, test and approve alternative products.

Surprisingly, food producers outside the EU will still be able to export food to Europe which has been treated with PPPs banned in the EU, despite an official study for DG Agri which reports that analysis of food produced outside Europe typically shows residues two or three times higher than that found on food produced in Europe.

Agriculture in Aberdeenshire - Looking to the Future

This report was commissioned by NESAAG (the North East of Scotland Agriculture Advisory Group), Aberdeenshire Council and Scottish Enterprise. Aberdeenshire Council has periodically commissioned reviews of the position of agriculture in the area, the last being for the period to 2003. The current work updates this series for the period 2003 to 2007. However, in addition to the usual statistical review of agriculture this study presents a strategic review of the position of the industry, looks more widely at links into the rural economy and the food and drink sector, tries to look at future prospects and challenges, and presents recommendations for action.

Thainstone Event - 4th December 2008

NESAAG hosted a meeting at Thainstone Agricultural Centre on 4th December 2008 to promote the ‘Agriculture in Aberdeeenshire’ study.

North East Scotland Agriculture Advisory Group responds to the Scottish Government Consultation On The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme in Scotland (2010-2013)

North East Scotland Agriculture Advisory Group (NESAAG) submitted its response in December 2008 to the Scottish Government Consultation on the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme in Scotland (LFASS) 2010-2013.

The present LFASS is an interim scheme which runs from 1st January 2007 until 31st December 2009. There are ongoing EU-wide discussions about a successor scheme but current indications are that an implementation date is unlikely before 2014. Therefore, while seeking views on possible responses to EU-wide developments, the consultation paper launched on 18th September 2008 focuses on the development of a “second interim scheme” for the period from January 2010 until December 2013.

Since LFASS payments were decoupled from livestock production in 2007, there has been a decline in the number of cattle and sheep in the uplands, thereby reducing numbers for finishing in lowland Aberdeenshire with possible implications for local meat processers and demand for feed crops.

NESAAG argues that it is absolutely vital to create a closer link to active livestock production under LFASS (2010-2013) to help sustain production in Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) and thereby maintain the rural economy and rural communities, and create stock for lowland finishers and processors across Scotland.

The group also asks for obstacles to new entrants under LFASS to be removed and supports calls for a range of easily accessible environmental management payment options to be made available.

The LFASS Consultation was discussed by NESAAG at a meeting held on 26 November 2008 to consider its response.

Councillor William Howatson, NESAAG Chairman said:

‘The North East of Scotland is home to significant primary and processing sectors within the national context. Due to rapidly escalating input costs and a sharp decline in LFASS payments in recent years (from £4.42M in 2003 to £2.67M in 2007 in Aberdeenshire), there are enormous pressures on margins on local farms in Less Favoured Areas (LFAs).

NESAAG wishes to ensure that the vital interests of the rural economy in LFAs are strongly represented as the importance of the rural sector extends far beyond growing food, and the impacts of change are experienced widely because of the relative inter-dependence of the enterprises involved.’

Final NESAAG Report on LFASS (pdf 67.0kb)

North East Scotland Agriculture Advisory Group Responds To The Scottish Government Consultation On The Cap Health Check

North East Scotland Agriculture Advisory Group (NESAAG) submitted its response in August 2008 to the Scottish Government Consultation on the Future Implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in Scotland, or the CAP Health Check as it is called.

The European Commission (EC) published details of the CAP Health Check in November 2007 with a view to identifying how the CAP is performing, how to simplify the policy and how to make best use of new market opportunities and to prepare for new challenges such as climate change, water-management, biodiversity and bio-energy.

The Scottish Government consultation stresses the importance of forming a Scottish viewpoint to the CAP proposals which take account of the specific nature of agriculture in Scotland, although negotiations with the EC will be undertaken at UK level.

Aware of the importance of the agricultural sector within Aberdeenshire and the North East of Scotland, the proposals were considered by NESAAG in July 2008 with a view to formulating a response.

Councillor William Howatson, NESAAG Chairman said:

“Agriculture is a major contributor to the economy in the North East of Scotland, producing around 30% of Scotland’s cereals, 40% of Scotland’s Oilseed Rape and maintaining around one third of Scotland’s beef herd and more than 50% of its pig herd.

“NESAAG does not regard agriculture in isolation, but as an integral sector within the rural economy. However, the industry has been exposed to structural and demographic change and external influences such as market volatility, high transport and energy costs.

“Aberdeenshire is also home to a significant processing sector, which currently processes more than 40% of Scotland’s prime cattle and 40% of Scotland’s prime lamb. Both the Food and Drink sectors are key industries in the North East of Scotland.

“Maintaining a robust, sustainable agricultural sector is therefore a key strategic priority for industry stakeholders to ensure supply of raw materials to the value added sectors and to underpin associated rural businesses and supply services within the rural economy.

“It is also important to recognise the breadth of the CAP and the potential within Pillar 2 for rural development encompassing rural communities and value added sectors which are key drivers in the rural economy.

“Acknowledging the scale of the agricultural sector in Aberdeenshire in tandem with the impact within the rural economy and communities, it is essential the voice of the north east is heard during negotiations on the future of the CAP.”

NESAAG CAP Healthcheck Response (pdf 146kb)

Membership of the Group consists of:

the three North East of Scotland local authorities (Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City Council and The Moray Council)
Scottish Enterprise
HIE Moray
key representatives from the agricultural industry
environmental agencies
wider rural interests