Warning farming sector needs the tools to deliver on green targets

With the climate and biodiversity performance of farming and crofting businesses likely to be key in determining the level of agricultural support payments received from 2025 onwards, getting the right tools and support in place on time to allow producers to plan and adapt their businesses will be essential for the future of Scottish agriculture.

NFUS policy director Jonnie Hall

And plans being made now for a tailored Scottish approach must ensure that the industry can deliver the trio of desired objectives – food production, climate ambitions and biodiversity enhancement.

Responding to the Scottish Government’s consultation “Agricultural Transition – First Steps Towards Our National Policy” which closed for responses yesterday, NFU Scotland stressed that future support should be exclusively focused enabling every unit, regardless of size, type or location, to play its part in delivering against these key objectives simultaneously.

But the union warned that to be successful the Scottish Government had to urgently deliver on its promise to provide a route map which would, firstly allow farmers to plan and prepare for change and, secondly, allow time to adapt agricultural management and investment in order to deliver the outcomes required.

Terming the change a “defining moment” for Scottish agriculture, the union said that it had seen an unprecedented level of response from its members on the issue.

“This is the time for action and the opportunity exists to implement a uniquely Scottish agricultural policy that enables a sustainable and profitable future for Scottish agriculture as it delivers outcomes in everyone’s interests,” said the union’s policy director, Jonnie Hall.

“It is clear that the political, economic and social context in which Scottish agriculture now finds itself has changed dramatically and the weight of expectation on delivery rests increasingly with farmers and crofters.

He said that as a consequence agricultural policy had to change significantly – and the responsibility lay firmly with Scottish Government to provide a new, properly funded policy package: “The scale and urgency of the change that is required in the next few years cannot be overstated. Given the array of targets that Scottish agriculture has a key role in attaining, the Scottish Government cannot adopt a ‘business as usual’ approach until 2025. It has a responsibility to prepare industry.”

Hall said the Scottish Government’s most recent ‘Programme for Government’ committed to ‘conditional’ support and that by 2025, half of all funding for farming and crofting would be moved from unconditional to conditional support – with targeted outcomes for low carbon approaches and biodiversity gain: “That is a fundamental shift in approach that industry must be ready for,” said Hall.

He said that the ‘kick-start’ of the recently announced £51 million National Test Programme would help farmers and crofters to establish a clear baseline and options for action over the next three years.

“NFU Scotland is certain that only active farming can deliver on the required objectives and still meet our ambition to grow our food and drink sector. In doing so, we will continue to deliver for the Scottish economy and the nation.”