The first live Blackface Sheep Breeders’ Association AGM since 2020 was held in Stirling in March, when Jonnie Hall, director of policy for NFUS told members that, while agriculture is in for a challenging time, farmers are in the driving seat with the ability to deliver real benefits in terms of the governments’ climate change targets.

Jonnie has been involved in agricultural policy in Scot for 25 years and said he has never known such a challenging time that will impact on every single agri-business in Scotland. He said, “Significant and defining change is on its way.

“The CAP gave us certainty and many business are too heavily reliant on the support it provides, but this is because we don’t always get a fair price for our product. We have become used to the basic area payment scheme, the LFA scheme and the ewe hogg scheme and it is starting to look difficult to survive without these. The further up the hill, the harder it will be, however those same hill farmers are the ones delivering more benefit to public good.”

The Scottish government published its vision for agriculture with four key points: high quality food production, tackling climate change, enhancing biodiversity and wider rural development.

Jonnie said, “I don’t disagree; this is public money and we need to give something back but I would argue that extensive livestock management knocks everything else out the park when it comes to benefitting communities and wider rural development.”

But he emphasised that in order to achieve this agri-businesses need to be both viable and profitable. He said, “You cannot be green when in the red.”

Support payments in the future will be different. Scotland will retain a direct support payment (unlike England) but it will be split into tier one, which underpins agri-business and tier two, which is a conditional payment, asking farmers to do something in terms of delivering on climate change or biodiversity

Jonnie said, “The time scale is critical; we cannot go off a cliff now changing from the status quo in 2023 to the new tier scheme in 2024. We need a transition period in order to adjust, adapt then deliver. Seventy per cent of Scotland’s land mass is under agri-land management of some sort, so it is absolutely vital to get this piece of policy right.”

Although we no longer get money from the EU, Scotland receives about £620m per year from Westminster for agriculture. Jonnie said, “The big priority for NFUS is to get a commitment out of whoever the next UK government is to honour that funding going beyond next year. Then if the pot comes to Scotland, we have to make sure it is spent on agriculture support as it will not be ringfenced. This is the biggest elephant in the room; we can come up with the best schemes but there are no guarantees of funding.”

He admitted to painting a picture of doom and gloom but told members, “You are in the driving seat – the Scottish and UK governments cannot deliver on their climate change targets without looking after the people who look after the land. Depopulation will lead to wilderness which supports nothing, is less diverse and will actually just be a huge fire risk.

“Every £1 agriculture gets from public purse is not subsidy or support, it is an investment and agriculture will deliver a better return on that investment than anything else.”

The second speaker at the AGM was Hexham and Northern Marts auctioneer, Chris Armstrong, who is a big fan of the Blackface breed.

He said that the Blackface at Hexham is now firmly rooted in the production of the North of England Mule with the majority of mid-range hill flocks now crossing either all or a large percentage of their ewes with the Blue or Crossing Leicester. This in turn creates a ready demand at Hexham, particularly for Blackie ewe lambs amongst the leading mule breeders who can source their replacements in  September with pockets full from their own returns earlier in the day.

He said, “Having been part of the marketing of the NEMSA mule for close to twenty-five years I know a great many purchasers that find the Blackie Bred mule out of Hexham type ewe to be a highly productive, hard-wearing sheep.  Despite falling numbers across the entire UK ewe flock it is encouraging that whilst the Blackie ewe remains the backbone of the industry and is suited to an array of land types on the hills and fells it is still the mule, bred from a horned mother that remains the firm favourite amongst commercial fat lamb producers which will ensure the future of our breed.”

However he warned, “The Blackie is a marvellous ewe but she is a hill ewe, if we lose the hardiness and ability to live in the harshest of conditions then we have little to champion our breed.”

He pointed out that the Blackface ram sale in Hexham attracts the biggest crowds of the year and there is still a ready market for them but he sent a warning shot across the bows of breeders to look out for problems with horns.

Chris said, “When store lamb buyers furnish us with orders for lambs but end with the instruction; ‘but no Blackies, I don’t want any in-growing horns,’ then we must seriously look at the stock sheep we are using.”

He urged breeders, “Such problems can be avoided with the all-important purchases we all make in October each year so choose wisely.”

Alec Telfers term as president came to an end at the AGM and he described the three years he was in charge as “horrendously tumultuous” due to Brexit, Covid, the Ukraine war and rampant inflation.

However he was excited about the new development strategy which provides a basis for taking the breed and Association forward. A new health committee will be formed and the new website is under construction with new branding.

The Association responded to the Scottish government’s consultation on the Agricultural Bill, which Alec described as an “absolute disgrace and a huge missed opportunity.” He said, “The hills of Scotland are the lungs of the nation, sequestering carbon all the time. Our farmers should be rewarded for maintaining this grassland and saving the planet!”

At the AGM, he handed over to Sandy Smith, the new president, a well known face in the Blackface world.

Sandy farmed at Haughton in Glenkindie, Aberdeenshire, until 2019 when the estate bought the family out after 89 years and four generations.

The Smith family are well known and successful breeders of Perth type Blackface tups since the late 1940’s. Sandy is still passionate about the Blackface breed; he has retained 200 ewes and will continue to breed rams. He has been a committee member of the local NFU and the Aberdeenshire lamb group.  Semi-retired, he is enthusiastic about stepping into Alec’s shoes, continuing all the good work that has been done for the breed recently and he is looking forward to representing the members. 

The vice president spot was taken by Derek Redpath from The Yett at Hownam.