First Cairngorms Farmers Forum Meeting
First Cairngorms Farmers Forum Meeting
A new group which will help farmers and land managers in the Cairngorms National Park will hold its inaugural meeting next week in Tomintoul. The focus of the first meeting of the Cairngorms Farmers’ Forum – which takes place on Wednesday 7 October in the Gordon Arms Hotel at 7pm – is animal health in the Cairngorms National Park, with Badenoch and Strathspey vet and Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) board member Andrew Rafferty leading the discussions.
Among the issues on the agenda for the meeting include a Park-wide animal health scheme, existing health schemes, BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea) in cattle and high health livestock sales, with presentations from the Scottish Agriculture College and the ANM Group.
The Cairngorms Farmers’ Forum has been set up to give members the opportunity to discuss important farming and land management issues such as animal health, forestry and woodland plantations, support schemes and so on.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Andrew Rafferty said: “The Cairngorms Farmers’ Forum is a great initiative and it will truly help farmers, estate factors, crofters and so on. There have been calls for this type of group for some time now so I would urge anyone with an interest to come along to the meeting and get involved – this is their chance. It really is a great opportunity to learn from others and help maintain a viable farming industry within the Cairngorms National Park.”
Gordon McConachie, Land Management Support Officer at the CNPA added: “The Cairngorms Farmers Forum aim is to help the estimated 400 plus farmers, estate factors and crofters in the Park to work together to their mutual benefit. They can all benefit from the Forum, whatever the size of the holding they work on. Once the group is more established, the aim is for it to be run by its members with the CNPA providing whatever support it required.”
As well as holding meetings at locations across the Park four to six times a year, it is also hoped that Forum members will go on site visits in the Park and possibly travel abroad to see other farms in operation there.
For more information on the Cairngorms Farmers Forum please contact Gordon McConachie on 01479 870574 / 07525 233710 / [email protected]
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Relevant alerts
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Firefighters from Scottish Fire and Rescue, estate workers and others are currently working to extinguish wildfires near Carrbridge and Dava. Members of the public are asked to avoid the area. If you live nearby, please close your windows and doors to avoid smoke in the vicinity.
Several roads in the Carrbridge, Dava, Grantown-on-Spey and Knockando areas remain closed. The B9007 is closed from the junction at Duthil to Ferness. The A939 is closed from Grantown-on-Spey to Ferness and the A940 is closed at Dava. The B9102 is closed from Grantown-on-Spey to Upper Knockando and Dallas. The snowgates at Carrbridge are closed.
Scottish Fire and Rescue are in attendance and the public are advised to avoid the area, including footpaths. Road users are asked not to ignore road closed signs.
For all the latest information check out the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland website and social media.