Farmers in the Scottish Borders say clarity and certainty about future agriculture support packages are needed sooner rather than later. Now that the show season is over, Leanne Gordon, a Director in our Rural Services team, explains many are seeking answers so that they can properly plan ahead.
Leanne met clients and others involved in the sector from throughout the Borders at the Peebles and Royal Highland shows, with colleagues attending other events including Kelso’s Border Union Show.
Leanne said: “It’s increasingly clear that farmers are seeking greater certainty over what Scottish Government financial support for agriculture is going to look like in the future. This was the major issue raised with us.
“We are now seeing the direction of future support with a focus on tackling climate change, sustainable food production and biodiversity. However, without knowing exactly what the structure is going to be - and how they might be able to benefit from it - farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to do meaningful business planning.
“There are some who we know are putting growth and diversification plans on hold until greater detail is known and what will be expected of farmers in return for the support payments. We are supporting many with the legal issues around all aspects of their work.”
New conditions for farming support payments will be introduced from 2025, with the Scottish Government saying they will focus on helping more of Scotland’s farmers and crofters cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change. They will be expected to adopt practices including soil testing, carbon audits, peatland and wetlands restoration and steps to reduce emissions from beef suckler herds.
Government representatives have also been visiting shows, but with fine details about the implementation of packages still awaited.
Many farmers and landowners are also exploring how they can benefit from and navigate issues and opportunities surrounding renewable energy schemes.
“This is not just about having wind turbines sited on their land, but the indirect opportunities which emerge from them, including battery storage and other supporting infrastructure, which we are advising many on. It’s important that the legal basis for all of this is well-considered and structured,” Leanne added.
“There are also important provisions to be made regarding carbon benefit schemes and how these are going to be dealt with.
“Renewable energy is an increasingly important element of our rural economy - and its influence is only going to grow.”
This article originally featured in the Southern Reporter on 5 October 2023.
