Crofting

The Chief Statistician has released first estimates of the 2023 Scottish harvest.

The figures predict that cereal production will remain in line with the ten-year average despite significant challenges during the year, including high input costs and poor weather condition. Total cereal production is expected to be around 3.0 million tonnes.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon and Trade Minister Richard Lochhead have written jointly to the UK Government to voice the Scottish Government’s concern about the possibility of the UK Government negotiating a ‘foundational trade partnership’ with the United States of America, as reported recently in the media.

With changes to agricultural support coming into effect from 2025, Scottish Government is calling on the agriculture sector to help us shape the detail of future of support and how it is delivered.

Supporting farmers and crofters to produce food more sustainably, work with nature and reduce emissions is at the heart of new draft legislation.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities Bill will reform how the government will support farming and food production in Scotland. It will legislate to introduce a new framework of support to replace the current Common Agricultural Policy.

An independent analysis of the responses to the consultation on proposals for a new Agriculture Bill, “Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture. Proposals for a new Agriculture Bill”, which was open from 29 August until 5 December 2022 have been published. 

Scotland’s first ever National Islands Plan (NIP) was published in 2019 and it is now going through its first review.

Scottish agricultural charity RSABI has announced the appointment of Pauline Macmillan as its new Head of Fundraising.

RSABI provides financial, practical, and emotional support to people involved in Scottish agriculture and, with its workload steadily increasing, the new role will be vital to help ensure RSABI has the income needed to meet expected demand in the coming years.