THE Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has never enjoyed a reputation of being farmer-friendly, but fortunately for the industry in Scotland, agricultural policy is devolved.
The only exception is animal health, where Defra has responsibility for the entire UK.
The Defra budget is under pressure and the perception among farmers is it wishes to dump costs on the industry, rather than actively share responsibilities.
Recent talks on this topic are seen by NFU Scotland (NFUS) as a "waste of time".
NFUS set out four key priorities with Defra – devolving animal health to Scotland, agreeing to a core provision for government-funded animal health work, properly examining the affordability to the industry of sharing costs and agreeing to take heed of EU proposals on cost-sharing when they emerge.
Nigel Miller, vice-president of NFUS, said: "It is clear from the meetings I have attended Defra's term of 'cost-sharing' is a joke. I can see nothing but cost-dumping and a walking away from responsibilities at a time when the financial pressure on the livestock industry is enormous.
"This comes on top of existing cost-dumping moves such as those affecting the Meat Hygiene Service, which will also impact on farmers' profitability."
NFUS will now seek further talks with the Scottish Government on the implications of the Defra plans for Scotland.
A commitment will be sought from Richard Lochhead, the rural affairs secretary, to maintain the budget for animal health work that the Scottish Government currently funds.
Miller added: "We have heard encouraging noises about devolving the animal health budget to Scotland. Yet this still has not happened, and we have not even seen the figures.
"We know the whole issue of cost-sharing is moving at an EU level, but Defra is running ahead of that timetable. Because the animal health budget is not devolved, the danger is the Scottish Government is bounced into something which it has already said is not acceptable."
At the NFUS annual general meeting in February, Lochhead announced a new national agenda for animal health, but there has been little sign of meat on the bones since then.
A starting point would be a commitment to continue the current funding of animal health activities, such as veterinary surveillance, the Highlands and Islands veterinary service and animal health research.
The NFUS view is such moves would distance the Scottish Government from the cost-cutting agenda pursued in England and Wales and allow for sensible discussions on the best way forward for animal health in Scotland.
The health status of the livestock industry in Scotland is high. There have been no major disease outbreaks since the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001 and only a handful of incidences of bovine tuberculosis. Bluetongue has not yet been seen, but the Scottish Government has recently signed a £5 million deal for vaccine, which will probably be used in late autumn to immunise all cattle and sheep.
