Rural Scotland

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 4:31 pm on 22 March 2001.

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Photo of Richard Lochhead Richard Lochhead Scottish National Party 4:31, 22 March 2001

Few of us in the chamber can grasp what our farming communities are going through. The challenge is not only to control and eliminate the disease but to minimise the impact, and especially the long-term damage, on the wider economy.

I want to touch on a few issues, beginning with the plight of Scotland's auction marts, which ground to a halt four weeks ago. I understand that the ban on the auction marts is to be revised on 27 March. Aberdeen & Northern Marts' auction marts employ 50 full-time staff and 100 casual staff. Those staff are idle because the auction mart cannot operate, and £40,000 a week is being lost. We recognise the economic role that the marts play in the rural economy. The mart at Maud, in Alex Salmond's constituency, was closed recently. The smaller marts around Scotland cannot be subsidised by other businesses and face especially difficult times.

That takes me to Alex Salmond's suggestion about using the marts as collection centres. Is the minister working with Europe so that, if the ban continues in the auction marts, they can be used as collection centres? The current restrictions on the movement of livestock discriminate against the smaller producers who have a couple of beasts to get to market. A lorry used to go round the farms, picking up all the beasts and taking them to the abattoir. That is not the case now. It is uneconomical to get a lorry just for a couple of beasts. We could help people who are accumulating livestock on their farms by establishing collection points as soon as possible. In addition, what is the minister doing for the auction marts?

We must remember that the auction marts have a social function, acting as gathering points for the farming community. The auction marts were never busier than in the BSE crisis. Farmers would come together and discuss the crisis and their common problems. They cannot do that this time, because of the restrictions. Indeed, farmers throughout Scotland are becoming increasingly isolated. That highlights the need for the minister to give support to the groups that are trying to help farmers cope with stress and other problems.