Murdo Fraser has signed a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling for a reversal of the Government’s decision to withdraw grant funding to the Scottish Association of Young Farmers.
SAYFC, Scotland’s largest rural youth organisation will lose its annual grant of £66,000 from the Government. The effect of this will be that the association’s annual income will fall by 13%.
This is the first time in nearly 70 years that SAYFC will receive no financial support from Government, impacting on more than 3,500 members across Scotland, including young farmers from Perth and Kinross, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
Murdo Fraser has strongly criticised the decision and believes that the Young Farmers Association helps ensure that farming remains an attractive career for young people.
Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“For over 70 years the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs has helped bring young people together in rural areas. It is therefore extremely short sighted to remove funding for these clubs, particularly at a time when it is increasingly difficult to attract youngsters to a career in farming.
“Perth and Kinross, Fife, Clackmannanshire and Stirling are renowned for their agricultural industries which have been sustained thanks to a strong network of young farmer clubs. Associations across the region are integral to remote communities and help link young people who often feel isolated as a result of their career.
“This is the first time in nearly 70 years that the SAYFC will receive no funding from Government. I believe that they deserve Government support, which is why I’m calling on the SNP to reverse this cut.”