Seòmar agus comataidhean

Please do not heckle me. I am trying to be non-political and reasonable, which is unusual for you, Mr Ross.

Thank you.

Yesterday’s debate highlighted the contribution of our farming sector to our economy. Given that many farmers are not as young as they used to be, what support is being given to encourage young people into the sector?

If I will get the time back, I will certainly take the intervention. I am not unhappy about doing that.

As I mentioned Rachael Hamilton in dispatches, I will.

Given the concerning rise in cases of Covid, would the cabinet secretary encourage supermarkets and shops to reinstate hand sanitisers and trolley wiping stations, many of which have been removed?

Well, they have not been impacted. The member will know that I raised the issue of these businesses during the discussions about the DRS. I am not unhappy to say that. I am glad that the scheme is being revisited. There were issues. I say to the member that he did not catch me out.

There are producers of honey, too, including large estates such as the Duke of Northumberland’s Burncastle estate, where I passed a trailer-load of hives being taken back to Dumfries after the bees had finished feeding off the heather. I still have a pot at home—of honey, not bees.

Then there are the farms across my constituency, stretching from the Eildon hills to the Pentland hills. They are mostly involved in sheep farming, although there are some mixed farms such as Baddinsgill hill farm in the southern Pentland hills near West Linton. Its 4,000 acres of heather-covered hills are populated by 1,400 hardy Blackface sheep along with a small fold of Highland cattle. The family has farmed there since 1912 and it remains a family farm, with four generations currently living there. It is one of the many farms and, indeed, estates that I have visited in my years here. It was on one of those Pentland farms that I learned—I am going into dangerous territory here—that on some farms sheep congregate in hefts that defend their patch with vigour. I hope that I have remembered that correctly.

All the producers that I have mentioned above have accessible websites where people can place orders, although it seems that the whole beef and whole lamb at Baddinsgill are already sold out. The important thing about those businesses is that they are embedded in the community and are committed to the community and to Scotland. They are not “here today, gone tomorrow” multinationals. They do not have to get £75 million to set up a car factory somewhere in England. They are family enterprises and they are the backbone of Scotland’s economy.

I will conclude by going back to hospitality. I repeat that it endured a tough two years due to Covid and it is still on the road to recovery. Recently, I completed my annual summer surgery tour of villages. Apart from picking up lots of cases and local issues, I also had to eat, of course, and where better than the two places that I will mention? I had lunch at Burts hotel in Melrose—I recommend the kedgeree—and at Caberston cafe in Walkerburn, where people cannot resist the homemade soup and cake.

There you are, Deputy Presiding Officer. I have unashamedly promoted and publicised a sample of what my constituency brings to the table and, seriously, to the local economy and the Scottish economy, which we should support and celebrate.

Perhaps the reason why Ms Hamilton did not mention Brexit is that, as an independent report has just shown, it is responsible for a third of UK food price inflation since 2019 and regulatory, sanitary and other border controls have added £7 billion to domestic household bills. That is why she keeps quiet about it.

I turn to the producers—the small and medium-sized enterprises that are the backbone of Scotland’s food and drink sector. The independent, award-winning craft brewery Broughton Ales, which produces a range of beers, was established in 1979 in the village of Broughton. The first Scottish microbrewery to be initiated, it appealed to customers who were looking for a new craft beer experience. It celebrates and preserves traditional Scottish brewing techniques, with favourites including Old Jock Scotch Ale and Stout Jock. They are available in pubs in Edinburgh and elsewhere, and also online.

On the same topic, there is more beer to be had at Traquair. I say to Mr Mountain that I have a theme. Traquair House Brewery lies in the wing of Traquair house that is directly underneath the chapel. The house, which is extraordinary, is Scotland’s oldest inhabited house and it was visited by 27 Scottish kings and queens. The brewery, which dates back to the 1700s, was originally a domestic brewery that served the house and the estate. It became disused but was never dismantled. It gradually filled up with family rubbish until it was rediscovered by Peter Maxwell Stuart in the early 1960s. Today, it continues to be run by the family, with beer names including the unsurprising Traquair House Ale and the also appropriately named Traquair Jacobite Ale, and it exports 50 per cent of its production.

I have had the pleasure of visiting both businesses—

I do not have any samples for the member.

Before I elaborate on the significance of the food and drink sector to the local economy in my constituency by giving examples of many small producers—and I will include hospitality, which plays a significant role by using local supplies and promoting Scottish produce through its food services—I will first mention the impact of Covid and Brexit on the hospitality sector.

The sector took a substantial hit from pandemic closures and then restrictions, notwithstanding the financial support at both UK and Scottish Government levels. Some providers, such as Stobo Castle Health Spa, which also serves food, closed completely and took the opportunity to refurbish, as did the Central Bar in Peebles. It is a very small pub and could not comply with the requirement to serve food, so it closed and underwent refurbishment. Some businesses have yet to see their bank balances recover, so we must not forget the substantial impact of Covid.

Brexit has also had an impact. Several local hotels tell me that they are unable to find staff, who formerly came from the EU, which limits their service to customers. There was not a cheep about Brexit during a very grumpy contribution by Rachael Hamilton.

Some businesses pride themselves on having as much local produce on their menus as is feasible—

Oh! I thought that I had been dismissed.

Recently, it was reported that NatureScot issued 46,985 licences over five years to authorise the culling of native wild species, including thousands of geese, ravens and iconic mountain hare. Does the First Minister share the concerns of animal welfare organisations—and me—about the size of that number? I declare an interest as the convener of the cross-party group on animal welfare.