Hear from the rural economy secretary in the onfarm podcast

Last week, what would have been the week of the Royal Highland Show, the OnFARM podcast, being produced in association with Show organisers, RHASS, has welcomed Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.

Speaking with Alan Laidlaw, RHASS Chief Executive, during an informal conversation for the podcast, Mr Ewing emphasised his support for the farming sector, highlighting how farmers have risen to the occasion in their response to Covid-19. The Cabinet Secretary also talked about his love of the Royal Highland Show and his support for RHASS’s education charity, RHET.

Mr Ewing said:

“The Royal Highland Show is the premier event in the agricultural calendar and the fulcrum of rural life in Scotland, enjoyed by tens of thousands of people from all walks of life. I myself very much enjoy it.

“Shows all over Scotland are not taking place this year and the experience for rural communities to meet each other, catch up with technology and innovation and do business is lost and this is extremely sad.

“However, I am very proud of the fact that farmers have risen to the occasion in their response to Covid-19 and have kept our food on the table. They have reminded us of the importance of food and producing food here, and of the risks of global food security and of the fragility of imports. Supply chains have been adapting and supermarkets are recognising what more they could do to support Scottish produce. All of these things are good news for farming.

“Additionally, The Royal Highland Show and Royal Highland Education Trust do a great job of educating children but there is more that we can do. I’d like to see every child in Scotland get the chance to visit a farm. I’ve heard it said that some children do not know that chips come from potatoes. Children learn by seeing and doing and I hope that we can see more children getting to understand farming.

“We continue to produce high quality food, thanks to Scotland’s farming community, and I am very proud of them.”

RHASS and the Highland Show and OnFARM teams should like to encourage all those with an interest in the rural economy to listen to the OnFARM podcast at www.podfollow.com/onfarm