Uncertainty among industry, uncertainty among farmers and frustration over a lack of information dominated all Brexit-related conversations at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh last week.

As politicians and negotiators debate the finer details of backstops, cliff edges and budgets, decisions around agricultural production are becoming more of a stab in the dark than an educated guess.

Such is the cyclical nature of farming, the fruits of this year’s labour will likely be sold into a post-Brexit environment.

Coinciding with this for farmers in the UK, is Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove’s public consultation on the future agriculture policy in the UK.

With Scotland’s nationalist government fighting every step of the Brexit process tooth and nail, it remains to be seen for Scottish farmers to what extent the UK’s parliament in Westminster will hold over any future farm payments.

“We’ve not really had any information from anyone in particular, but we are trying to make our business better so that when the single farm payment is taken away we still have a business to run. I think the SFP will be taken away in stages, it will be ramped down over the next 10 years,” Aberdeenshire beef, sheep and arable farmer Matthew Biffen told the Irish Farmers Journal at the Highland Show.

He added that future payments will likely be “geared towards the supermarkets and the consumer, to show that we are looking after the land better”.

On his farm Matthew is trying to increase efficiency by using fertiliser better, increasing yields from crops by timing spray applications accurately, using faster finishing breeds of cows and using a mule cross ewe for easier lambing and mothering ability.

Upbeat

Largely speaking, farmers at the Highland Show were very upbeat. Positive prices hide Brexit worry.

There was an acceptance that there will be little more clarity between now and Brexit. Farm payment clarity seems to be stuck between interpreting statements between the Scottish government and Westminster for now.

However, it is not just Brexit that is causing concern among farmers. Trade deals with trade blocs such as Mercosur is also topical.

The National Farmers Union of Scotland’s livestock chair Charlie Adam said that he would rather see the European Union conclude a deal with Mercosur before Brexit happens as he does not think the UK’s trade secretary Liam Fox would protect the farmer’s interests if the UK did its own deal.