Ráðunautafundur - 20.02.1996, Blaðsíða 13

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RÁÐUNAUTAFUNDUR 1996
The Agricultural Advisory Service in Scotland
James Gilmour
Director, SAC Advisory Service, Scotland
This paper has been prepared for the 1996 Annual Meeting of the Icelandic Agricultural Ad-
visory Services, as a contribution to a discussion on “The Icelandic Agricultural Advisory
Services irí a New Century”. It describes briefly the role, structure and operation of SAC (The
Scottish Agricultural College), the changes that have occurred in the past decade, and parallel
developments in England and Wales where the agricultural advisory service is organised and
operates quite differently, and reviews some issues for the future.
SAC (THE SCOTTISH AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE)
SAC is a unique institution in the UK. It provides expert advisory and consultancy services,
undertakes advanced research and development, and provides undergraduate and postgraduate
education and training, primarily for the rural sector and related industries. With its close links
with the Universities in Scotland and the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Insti-
tutes (SABRIs), SAC occupies a central position in the process of technology transfer from
researcher to farmer, uniquely integrated in “the Scottish System”.
The Scottish Coileges of Agriculture were founded as three separate, regional organisa-
tions at the beginning of the eentury to provide training and advice for farmers. Their agri-
cultural extension activities, related R&D and educational courses were funded almost wholly
by government grant aid provided by the Scottish Office until 1987, although modest charges
for some analytical services were introduced in 1972. The three Colleges came together into a
single body (SAC) in April 1987, primarily in response to the cuts in advisory and R&D fund-
ing the Government imposed that year.
Constitutionally SAC is an independent private company, limited by guarantee and with
charitable status, and has an independent Board of Directors, two of whom are members of
staff. SAC is independent of Government and its staff have no statutory duties such as en-
forcement of UK or EU regulations affecting farmers, but the Scottish Office provides grant-
in-aid to SAC in support of advisory, R&D and educational activities undertaken by SAC in