New deal for agriculture
Farmers and crofters will benefit from £20 million additional capital support this year and £26 million next year, First Minister John Swinney has confirmed.
Speaking at the NFU Scotland annual conference he outlined how at least £14 million of the funding will deliver a Future Farming Investment Scheme, providing flexible capital grants.
Other significant announcements included:
- an additional £7 million in 2025 through the Agri-environment climate scheme (AECS) to undertake activities supporting nature, climate and biodiversity alongside food production
- hosting a new entrant’s summit bringing key individuals together to find solutions to attract more people into farming
- a three year programme of national land Lidar laser scanning to accurately map terrain
- committing £75,000 to RSABI (founded as the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution) to provide mental health support for farmers and crofters
- further details of how the routemap to implementing a new framework of agriculture support will work
- a commitment to delivering ultra-high frequency (UHF) electronic identification for cows to improve traceability
Background
Published on: 11 February, 2025