Land Reform Bill could affect all farmers

That’s the verdict of Andrew McCornick, NFU Scotland vice-president, who warned that, no matter whether you farm one acre or 1000 acres, aspects of this projected legislation will affect you.

Following a sitting of the parliament’s rural affairs committee, Mr McCornick commented: “Farming is the primary land use in Scotland and this Bill will affect all farmers in Scotland, whether they farm one acre or 1000 acres.

“It is likely that this Bill will not have an easy road through the Scottish Parliament.

“Even within committee, it is clear MSPs have differing views on key aspects of the Bill.

“It will be important that when the whole Scottish Parliament comes to debate the Bill in the next few weeks, that all members understand its importance and implications.

“One area in which clarity is needed is around the threshold for communities to exercise right to buy.

“The message we have had from members is the proposed hurdles have been set too low and are so vague that each and every farm in Scotland could potentially lose land to any group that wants to consider itself a community.”