Scottish Parliament Committee to visit dairy farms in Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries & Galloway

29 August 2023

Holyrood’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee will this week (Wednesday 30/Thursday 31 August) visit three dairy farms and Carbon Capture Scotland in Kirkcudbrightshire as part of its on-going pre-legislative scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s proposals for future agriculture policy.

The Committee is due to scrutinise the Agriculture Bill when it is introduced later this year.

Having visited an arable farming partnership in June this year, the Committee is keen to learn more about different production methods used by farms of various sizes and the steps that can be taken to reduce environmental impact and restore biodiversity in their holdings.

Members are set to visit Littleton Farm and The Ethical Dairy, both in the Gatehouse of Fleet, and Torr Farm in Auchencairn. The Committee will also visit Carbon Capture Scotland, a leading carbon capture asset specialist in Crocketford, where delegates will be accompanied by Crofthead dairy farm and South of Scotland Enterprise.

Committee Convener, Finlay Carson MSP and Members Karen Adam MSP; Alasdair Allan MSP; Jim Fairlie MSP; Kate Forbes MSP; Rhoda Grant MSP and Rachael Hamilton MSP will all take part in the fact-finding visits.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Committee Convener and leader of the delegation, Finlay Carson MSP said:

“These visits will help us really get to grips with issues surrounding the support farmers need in relation to CAP payments and to understand the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for different farming systems. It’s crucial that we get to the root of what farmers need from future agriculture policy to best support their farms and help them provide for a just transition.

“Before the Parliament’s summer recess period, we had already covered a lot of ground by hearing the views of a broad range of agriculture sector stakeholders on the themes of food production, supply chains, climate change and biodiversity to name a few.

“But this crucial ‘on the ground’ insight will help us better understand how future agriculture policy needs to work to allow the sector to flourish over many years to come.”

More detail about the Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny of agriculture policy can be found on the Committee webpages.

Littleton Farm is a family dairy farm owned and managed by Robert Dodds, a fourth generation farmer. The farm employs a team of 28 and has a herd of 950 cows. Previously a mixed livestock farm, it specialises in dairy production and is a supplier to Muller for butter, yogurt and milk. The farm has undergone significant investment in production technology and environmental management over the past decade.
The Ethical Dairy, Rainton Farm Rainton Farm is owned by David Finlay and produces cheese from organic milk. The farm has operated as an organic dairy for over 20 years and, since 2016, it has followed an “ethical dairy model” in which calves are kept with their mothers to suckle for 5-6 months. It was the first such commercial dairy in the UK, with the aim of “demonstrating that cow with calf dairy farming is viable and sustainable at scale”.
Torr Organic Dairy is a family-owned dairy farm with a herd size of 170, managed by brother and sister Ross and Lee Paton. Torr Farm has been farmed organically for over 20 years with the intention “to show that Organic farming can be done productively and profitably”. It was one of the Climate Change Focus Farms that participated in a Farming for a Better Climate project from 2010 to 2013.
Carbon Capture Scotland is run by Richard and Ed Nimmons and specialises in technology which captures CO2 from various industries including agriculture. The CO2 is then used in dry ice manufacturing and food transportation or is sequestered through partnerships with carbon storage facilitiess. The business is adjacent to Crofthead dairy farm and BioGas plant, the owners of which will also join the Committee’s visit.

Media interested in speaking with the Committee Convener about the Committee’s work in this area either before or after the visits, contact Hilda Stewart on 07583 107104/[email protected]

Scottish Parliament Committee to visit dairy farms in Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries & Galloway

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