Climate change is a real and present threat but action is needed to tackle the problem, rather than looking to pin the blame on a scapegoat.

Speaking at the National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland annual general meeting, president Jim McLaren said there is little point on the agriculture being held accountable for damaging the environment and contributing to global warming through the use of pesticides and fertilisers.

According to a report in the Farmers Guardian, Mr McLaren said the sector was not to blame for the problem - but that it could still play its part in helping the environment.

Scotland has tasked the industry with slashing its greenhouse gas output by ten per cent, a target which the speaker said is attainable.

"Scepticism about this is irrelevant - the agenda has been set and we have to grasp it," he said. "We need to get on the train and make the most of the opportunities."

NFU is the largest farming organisation in the UK and has been in existence for more than 100 years.