I MEET with the NFU and farmers on a regular basis – farming is such a key sector for East Lothian.

The UK Government's Autumn Budget in October is a crucial day for Scottish agriculture.

NFU Scotland’s political affairs manager Beatrice Morrice is someone I meet regularly. She stated: “The Labour Party manifesto for the recent General Election made no mention of its plans for agricultural funding. The current funding commitment only ran to the end of the previous Parliament, so October 30 will be when farmers and crofters understand more about the new UK Government’s plans.

“That is why NFU Scotland will be in Westminster this week meeting politicians and Treasury officials; have a presence at the forthcoming Labour Party conference; and be back in London meeting leading politicians in early October ahead of the budget.

“At each of these meetings, we will highlight our key asks and continue to underline the importance of future funding for our sector.

“To back that up, NFU Scotland submitted a detailed budget submission to the UK Government following Chancellor Rachel Reeves commissioning the Treasury to conduct a spending audit.

“Our submission underlined the need for an increased, multi-annual, ringfenced agriculture and rural economy funding commitment in the budget. That was backed up by evidence of all that a thriving farming and crofting sector delivers in relation to food security, climate change and nature, rural communities and economic growth.

"Without adequate funding from the UK Government, the majority of farmers in Scotland would cease to be viable. We need Government funding to be able to deliver these vital outcomes.

“If the UK Government wants to secure food production and the upstream and downstream socio-economic multipliers that are critical to wider rural prosperity, our budget must be increased. An increase would continue to provide a significant return on investment, generate more growth and employment, and deliver the climate and nature outcomes that are vital to all our futures.

"The public interests embedded in sustainable food production, tackling climate change, enhancing biodiversity and underpinning vibrant rural communities cannot be understated or overlooked.”

I will be lobbying Douglas Alexander that he stands up for East Lothian farmers in Budget discussions.