CONCERNS have been raised about the lack of protection from flooding being provided to farmers in Angus, Perthshire and Tayside.
The vulnerability of low-lying farms has been highlighted by MSP Murdo Fraser in questions in the Scottish Parliament.
Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham told him the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) had set up a text and mobile phone flood advice service for farmers in Scotland.
But Mr Fraser said the Scottish Government should be doing more for agricultural communities which have been hit hard by heavy rains this year.
The Scottish Conservative list MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife said: “Autumn and winter 2009 so far has been a harsh one across Scotland, and farmers in Angus and Perthshire have been adversely affected by the heavy rain and localised flooding.
“It is disappointing that the SNP government has failed to outline any help or assistance it will give to farmers in the north-east who have been affected by flooding.”
He added that it was ironic that the government was telling farmers to go online to get information on flooding updates when many rural areas are unable to access broadband due to its “inaction” on improving broadband connectivity.
He pressed Ms Cunningham to “urgently” commission a national flooding review.
In her response Ms Cunningham, SNP MSP for Perth, said farmers and property owners also had an important role to play in flood protection.
She said: “The primary responsibility to safeguard property and businesses from hazards of nature such as flooding lies with the owners concerned. They are required to take all reasonable steps to protect their property from such hazards.
“However, farmers can expect advice on flood risk and flood warnings from Sepa, which operates flood-warning schemes on most of the large rivers and their tributaries in Perthshire and Angus, with warnings for the North Esk becoming operational in March 2010.”
Ms Cunningham added that she was also taking action on behalf of constituents after recent floods on stretches of the A85 in and around Gilmerton in her constituency.
She said: “I have asked the roads authorities to carry out a site visit to inspect various problem areas that have been identified and determine what more needs to be done in terms of either improved maintenance or road re-design to attempt to avoid these issues arising again in the future.”