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Rural Support Plan published
Publication of the first Rural Support Plan marks milestone in the development of future agricultural support policy.
The Scottish Governments has published the Rural Support Plan, which will deliver continued support for Scotland’s active farmers and crofters to 2030 and beyond.
The initial Rural Support Plan maps current support from legacy CAP support, the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and other schemes, into the new four-tier framework, allowing new support to be launched using the powers of The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.
It will deliver investment with a focus on sustainable food production, action for climate and nature, and supporting rural communities. The Plan launches the new four-tier framework, which will replace the legacy EU Common Agricultural Support (CAP).
In relation to rural and island communities, the Plan states: “Additionally, Tier 4 goes beyond support for agriculture as it also provides for support for community-led approaches in rural and island areas as well as supporting the capacity building and networking of rural communities.”
The plan provides a period of clarity and certainty, delivering direct support for the next five years to provide the industry with reassurance and boost confidence in long-term investment.
It also includes a range of ongoing reforms to support mechanisms designed to support increased environmental benefit and commits to working with the industry to co-develop the detail of future support for active farmers and crofters, delivering on the environmental responsibilities set out in the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture.
Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said:
“The publication of the first Rural Support Plan marks a major milestone in the development of future agricultural support as we recognise the need to be more sustainable and work towards a balanced policy which delivers for climate, nature and sustainable food production. Agriculture is vital to our economy, the lifeblood of our rural communities and the lynchpin in our food security, and we need to take the steps now to ensure we are better prepared for challenges, such as more extreme weather events.
“Our route map to new payments has been, and will continue to be, built with our partners across industry to ensure Scotland continues to be globally renowned for the quality of our produce and the standards we hold ourselves to. By working with the industry, we have avoided any cliff edges in payment support and we will build on this as the support system evolves. Stability does not mean no change – we are committed to our ongoing programme of reforms designed and delivered in partnership with our rural communities and valued stakeholders.
“Where we have the powers to protect and support the agricultural industry, we are doing just that with the most generous direct support package in the UK. We have continued to provide much needed stability and investment to our farmers and crofters – in stark contrast to policies elsewhere – and this plan sets out how we will continue to do that.”
