'Brexit's teething problems have evolved into fundamental flaws' – Herald columnist Claire Taylor

Claire also hopes the personal stories she tells in her column will help develop a more nuanced picture of farming in Scotland. “Right now, farming is topical – everyone saw the lorries driving to Westminster,” she says.

“But the problem is that agriculture hits the news when we’re at destruction point. If you think about our economy, you realise what a huge part it plays. And think about why people come to Scotland and why they love it – the beautiful iconic landscapes – a lot of that is shaped by our countryside custodians: farmers.

"Farming feeds into our food economy, it feeds into tourism, and so many people are involved along the supply chain. I think some people narrowly focus on the word ‘farmer’ without thinking about the whole industry.”

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Claire’s aim is to bring some of that bigger picture into her column, but she will also be writing about some of the issues that are on farmers’ minds day-to-day and one of the biggest of them is Brexit. “Brexit is a huge issue for the industry right now,” she says. “We’ve all seen the headlines with perishable goods being held up at the border and confined to landfill. The so-called ‘teething problems’ have in fact evolved into fundamental flaws in the system, resulting in mountains of paperwork and excessive costs, devastating some businesses.”

Another problem with Brexit, says Claire, is the lack of certainty it has introduced for Scottish farmers. “In England there’s very much an understanding about what the future is going to look like in terms of financial support,” she says, “but the Scottish Government is still putting the final details on a future support package. Scotland does, however, have an edge over England in that it recognises the primary role of farmers to produce food and promises to ensure they can keep doing so.”

Claire says farmers also face a continuous challenge about making a living in a changing industry and a changing world. “Most of the variables are outwith farming’s control, whether it’s the weather or the volatility of the market. Many farmers are operating on really tight margins and every decision has long term consequences. In the EU, the way the budgetary system worked, it was every seven years and that suited farmers because everything’s long term – they’re putting crops in the ground but they’re not going to reap the benefits for years to come. Now they will have to adapt to yearly budgets.”

One of the other concerns is that farmers are being told that they have to develop to survive. “Farmers right now are being told to diversify,” says Claire, “but at the same time, you have to invest a lot of capital without knowing if it’s going to return anything. Recent surveys have shown that farmers are doing that, they’re investing, they clearly have some optimism, or they’re being resilient – I don’t know which word you would use.”

Another of Claire’s concerns is the long-term future of farming and rural life and ensuring the next generation feels confident about taking over. Claire is on the steering committee of The Rural Youth Project which aims to enable young people to find a future in rural communities. “I’m passionate about empowering rural young people,” says Claire, “they are the future, and we need to ensure there are opportunities for them to thrive in rural Scotland.

“One upside of the pandemic is we’re going to see more people seeking out rural life: people can now work from home and they may realise the quality of life they can have. Hopefully, this will help lessen the urban-rural divide.”

Claire won’t only be writing about rural issues though. For four years, she worked at the BBC as a producer of audience debates, mostly during elections, and her column in The Herald means that, for the first time, she will be out-front and able to express an opinion on politics – an opportunity she relishes.

She also wants to pass on some of the experiences of the people who talk to her, including the brave young farmer who recently opened up to her about his battle with suicidal thoughts; fortunately, he’s now come through the other side, but poor mental health continues to be one of the biggest issues facing the industry today.

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Claire says that too often the media can portray a ‘fluffy’ image of farming which reinforces an ‘escape to the country’ idea, which can take away from the harder realities of farming life.

“In the years ahead,” she says, “climate change will be top of the nation’s agenda and I’m excited to be able to share the role Scotland’s farmers and crofters will have to play on the frontlines, tackling ambitious emissions targets, whilst still providing high quality, delicious local produce.”

Claire Taylor’s column appears in The Herald every Tuesday.

WHAT I LOVE, BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

My Favourite Book: The Game of Thrones books which I devoured at university. I love fantasy novels, an escape from work.

My Favourite Film: Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring. The battle scenes and incredible costume/make-up design was mind-blowing back then but equally timeless now.

My Favourite Album: AC/DC Back in Black – I’ve grown up listening to 70s rock bands – my dad is in a rock band himself, so it was a huge part of my childhood. I saw AC/DC perform at Hampden for my 18th birthday and it’s a performance I will never forget. Back in Black is my favourite song of all time.

My Favourite TV Show: The Last Kingdom on Netflix. Totally hooked on the series. I love the storyline, characters and fighting scenes and can’t wait for the new season to be released.