The Scotsman

The GM Farmer's Story

Steven Barclay runs Park Farm which is owned by his father-in-law, Danny MacKintosh. The family runs seven farms, totalling roughly 700 acres. They grow mainly spring barley, oats and wheat and lease out areas for growing carrots and potatoes.

An application has been made to grow just over 17 acres of genetically modified oilseed rape at Park Farm at Auldearn, near Nairn, as well as another area at Seafield Farm, near Smithton, Inverness.

"I believe GM crops are the way forward."

"Like other developments in agriculture over the years, it is just another farming tool and through time it will come into its own."

"My main point is that it will cut down on the use of chemicals. There has been talk about there being a herbicide tax coming in and margins are so tight at the moment that we could not afford another tax."

"If we could cut down our herbicides to one, and just pay tax on one, instead of three or four, then it's bound to be a help."

"I can see the concern of organic farmers but you have to be realistic. If GM is cleared for use and there are no trials done in the Highlands, these crops will be grown in Scotland without any trials being done in this area."

"We have an extra hour of daylight and different temperatures which could change the outcome of a trial. I have been interested in the technology for some time and have kept an eye on the progress made in GM crops. I am from the Black Isle and there is a trial going ahead there already so over the last few months I have been watching the developments without saying anything."

"I have noticed that for every person who has spoken against it, there is one for it, but maybe the folk who are in support are less vociferous than the others and their views are not being heard as much."

"The furore over the Black Isle trials has not put me off because we have done things differently here."

"We have told everybody what we are planning before the crops have gone in the ground - I think it is a wee bit naughty to put the crops in the ground and then tell people later. We have been totally open all along. We have nothing to hide and are open to any questions people have.

"I spoke to people locally and no-one said 'don't do it', although since the scaremongering started big time, one or two have said they are concerned. One neighbour, who is not against GM, has made a valid point that if this foot-and -mouth problem continues, he doesn't want people traipsing over his farm looking for our farm to trample the crop. Another neighbour is all for it and believes GM is the way forward, while another is of the view that so long as he does not lose out over it, he is also for it.

"However, I do know there are some who have some quite serious concerns that it may devalue their farms. I don't see that at all but it has to be looked into. I am happy to listen to what people have to say and I am prepared to go to any open meetings and answer any questions that I can."

"I understand the concern of the organic farmers but the feeling of Aventis (the seed company) who run 120 sites throughout the countryside, often working close to organic farms, is that that there has been no effect."

"The organic farms were to be 100 per cent squeaky clean but they can't be because if there is going to be leeching of GM crops then there is also going to be leeching and contamination from the normal crop which we are spraying."

"If pollen can blow for three miles so can the chemicals, so none of these organic farms is completely free of contamination. It's all very well putting the boot into GM but are they 100 per cent clean themselves? I don't think so."

"Also, they say the Highland area is GM-free but there has been GM crops grown in our area some years ago. Ironically enough a farm now selling organic vegetables was the site of that trial."

"You wonder what the organic people are looking at. Is it the bottom line of profits or is there a genuine concern for the environment? I think probably it's a bit of both."

"But whatever happens, if I don't go ahead and do this trial someone else will. Put it this way, I have had two phone calls from other farmers asking could they be put forward for a trial if I don't continue. If I said today that I am not doing it, there are people already waiting to go ahead. They might not bother telling the neighbours what they are doing, but may wait until the last minute before giving the information. But it's like everything else. If somebody tells you not to do something it is going to make you determined to do it."

"At the moment, I am pretty open-minded but, if push comes to shove, I have to do what I consider to be best. There is a lot of literature coming out from both sides but much of it contradicts each other. You can't say you are going to believe one more than the other and you have to be satisfied yourself before you can decide."

"I know what people will be thinking, but there is no financial motive in this for us. We are a very small farm and we are not going to be able to do anything extravagant on what is being paid by Aventis."

"There are no big sums of money involved at all. A lot of folk would say, 'Then why accept all the hassle that goes with this and why get involved at all?' The reason is that I do genuinely think it is the way forward."

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