The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), that folded in 2009, has been given a new lease of life in Scotland by a group of independent farm conservation advisers.
The original FWAG was run as a charity by a network of employed advisers, but the new Scottish Farming and Wildlife Advisers' Group has a different model. The current network of conservation specialists is similar, but this is now in the shape of fully independent consultants running their own businesses.
Ex-FWAG advisers have come together with other independent consultants to form an association aimed at collaborating to promote the conservation message. A network of 12 skilled specialists covering most of Scotland from Shetland to Dumfries makes up the membership of the new organisation.
Richard Lockett, chairman of Scottish FWAG, who runs his own consultancy business as well as a small-scale farming operation near Dingwall, makes it clear that things have moved on since the original FWAG disappeared saying: "It was a great shame when FWAG went under, but times have changed. The need for skilled conservation advice remains, but how that happens now is totally different. Scottish FWAG members today run their own businesses and have the flexibility to decide what works best for them and the needs of their area, whether it be farms, estates, crofts, nature reserves or smallholdings."
Mr Lockett is clear that the need for the new organisation is as strong as ever and went on: "Farming and conservation in Scotland are completely interwoven. Many of the issues we face today - biodiversity loss, water quality, climate change, flood management - are directly linked to land use decisions. The need for trusted, independent expertise is as great today as when the original FWAG was formed. Some of the old FWAG messages are accepted as mainstream, but many new and some old challenges remain."
* Meanwhile, dairy farmers have until tomorrow (Friday, 9th June) to apply for a share of £2.4m funding to support them implement key on-farm management tools.
The funding, which is targeted towards the hardest hit dairy farmers, encourages the widespread uptake of milk recording and production techniques.
When the initial scheme closed on May 1st just over 700 claims had been submitted, accounting for £1.7m of the EU pot. The disappointing uptake prompted the Scottish Government to re-open the application window.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing encouraged more to take advantage of this opportunity adding: "If any of this funding remains unclaimed by the end of the application period, I will increase all the current payment rates to ensure our farmers receive the maximum level of support available."
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