Option that will hit the islands for £800,000

As details started to emerge over options for the Agriculture Bill, there are concerns that extensive systems that rely on common grazing will be left behind.

Policy advisers working for the Scottish Government have put forward four different options for the new Agriculture Bill – one of which would see the Western Isles lose out on an estimated £800,000 a year and adversely affect around 800 crofting businesses.

While far from a fait accompli, and only to be considered alongside other options, the fact that it has been formally presented to the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board – an industry which will advise on delivery models – has sounded alarm bells.

The option has been put forward as a means of simplifying the system of support for livestock producers and all land types can be included, but with the proviso that they can support a livestock unit calculation of no less than 0.8 per hectare.

That would render it impractical for many crofters who rely on large expanses of rough common grazing as that minimum threshold would be far too high.

The new Agriculture Bill to be introduced in 2024 will create a new framework under which £800 million of annual support will be distributed to Scotland’s farmers and crofters.

While there is wide understanding and general agreement that there will be more of a move towards environmental improvement, the Bill has been roundly condemned for its lack of detail.

The ARIOB meet in Dundee next week and it hoped that Scottish Government representatives will provide a better understanding on a direction of travel.

Donald MacKinnon, chair of the Scottish Crofting Federation, is a member of the board.

He said: “This option was presented to us a few weeks ago and we made it clear it would be completely unacceptable.

"But as we stand we can’t say that there’s anything off the table. A policy under which money will be re-diverted to those on the better land will get support in some quarters; we know that. Hopefully we’ll know more next week.”

Another option under active consideration would see the introduction of a single region and with a flat payment of £105 per hectare. That would result in a sharp drop in income for those in “Region One” (the best land) and a big rise for regions two and three.

Again this would be more simple to administer but will result in a redistribution of financial support to the hill sector and therefore likely strongly resisted by certain sectors.

Yet another option put forward is that payments be based on an assessment of labour requirements within each business.

NFU Scotland, who also sit on the ARIOB, said a planned rally at Holyrood next month was beginning to gain momentum.

President Martin Kennedy said: “Only farmers and crofters can turn the dry legislation of a new Agriculture Bill into practices that deliver for food, climate and nature but we need to know now from Scottish Government what those options look like.

“The lack of recognition of our industry and all it delivers is unacceptable and fails to acknowledge the urgent need to address the worsening food security crisis. We are holding this rally to drive home the message that #FoodNeedsAFarmer.”