The chief executive of the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland (NFUS), John Davidson, has said he believes agriculture has an “exceptionally bright future”, despite the challenges it is facing.
As he approaches his first full year in the role of chief executive, Davidson has thanked NFUS members for their support and set out the work that will be done to shape the organisation over the coming years.
Davidson said now is a critical time for Scottish agriculture as the union seeks to influence the government’s future policy and long-term support.
Both of which, he said, will underpin the farming industry’s objective of a profitable and sustainable industry.
“Moreover, agriculture continues to face many other headwinds including stubbornly high input-costs, chronic labour shortages, and receiving a fair and consistent return from the market,” he said.
“Despite these challenges, I still firmly believe the industry has an exceptionally bright future. We produce the best food and drink anywhere in the world, to the highest standards, and demand for our produce remains high.
“Our farmers and crofters are the bedrock of our food and drink industry and the reputation for excellence that Scotland commands globally.
“This, of course, underpins our critical role as stewards of the land, the work you do day-in-day out to support nature recovery and biodiversity, whilst remaining the heartbeat of local communities. These attributes must give us optimism for the future.”
Business strategy
All NFUS members should have now received a copy of the NFUS Business Strategy 2024-2027.
The business strategy is focused on six key objectives. These are:
- Membership;
- Policy and market influence;
- Financial stability;
- Structures and governance;
- Communications;
- People development.
While the business strategy provides a roadmap over the next three years, the union has also put together an operating plan, which focuses on the short-term and the priorities NFU Scotland will pursue over the next 12 months to deliver its objectives.
Introducing the strategy, Davidson said this sets out the big overarching priorities the organisation will pursue over the coming years to provide this support.
“Each one is critical in its own right. However, at its core are our members, who are and always will be the lifeblood of the organisation,” he said.
As such, everything we do over the coming months and years will have our primary mission in mind: a profitable and sustainable future for our members.”
