Government will work with the farming industry to ensure future agricultural policy is right for Scottish agriculture.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon, who was appointed to her role last month, made the comments in response to questions over future policy to replace Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy (Cap).
“This is a really pivotal time for agriculture and we are setting the future direction of policy; we don’t get a second chance at this,” said Ms Gougeon.
She said she was busy digesting the findings and recommendations from various government reports looking at future policy options for Scottish agriculture.
“We want to make sure that we consider all the information before we set out the direction of travel we are going in,” added Ms Gougeon.
She said an implementation board to bring forward recommendations from the government’s farmer-led climate groups – established to propose ways farmers and crofters can reduce their emissions – would be formed by the middle of August.
Ms Gougeon said it wasn’t a case of “either, or” when it come to producing food and protecting the environment, and said: “I very much believe we can do both.”
She applied the same ethos to woodland creation and tree planting and said: “I can understand why trees can be perceived as a threat [to farmers].
“It should be seen as an opportunity and our position is very much that farming and forestry can work together. It should be about the right tree in the right place.”
Ms Gougeon also pledged to look at how public procurement can be used to promote the farming sector by ensuring more public bodies are buying Scottish food and drink.
“This past year with Brexit, the pandemic and recent trade deals, has highlighted why local supply chains are so important,” she added.