Crofters have six months to meet future payment conditions
Scotland’s crofters risk missing vital funding if they do not embrace new payment conditions, SAC Consulting has warned.
The Scottish Government wants members of the crofting community to meet new environmental guidelines as a condition of financial support.
The Whole Farm Plan, taking effect on 15 May 2025, will require crofters and smallholders to initially meet two of five potential requirements to ensure the Basic Payment Scheme remains available to them.
The Scottish Government is introducing the five elements as part of its plans to tackle climate change and prevent biodiversity decline.
The requirements, which all relevant crofters and small-scale farmers will need to meet in their entirety by 2028, include a carbon audit, biodiversity audit, soil analysis, an animal health and welfare plan for those who have livestock, and an integrated pest management plan for those who use pesticides or herbicides. Engaging with this now and planning ahead is a vital consideration for crofters from 2025 onwards.
SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College, says it can offer crofters the advice they need – not least because three quarters of its own team are facing the same situation on their crofts.
Niall Campbell, SAC Consulting’s Regional Development Manager for north-west Scotland, as well as a smallholder in Taynuilt, Argyll and Bute, said:
“Many of my colleagues in SAC Consulting live in the communities where they work, are active crofters and smallholders in their own right. So, we are well placed to understand both sides of the argument.
“The landscape is changing, and we all need to change with it. And we can help.”
Niall stressed how important continued financial support is to the crofting sector.
“Crofts need to be financially viable. The crofter needs to be able to pay the associated costs of managing livestock, growing crops and see a return on the time they have personally invested.
“Crofters want to be agriculturally and economically active and are quite rightly proud and passionate about the food they produce and the biodiversity and landscapes they maintain.
“With the right support, crofters and small holders can be fully prepared for the changes ahead and ensure their businesses continue to be an essential part of the fabric of the vibrant rural communities they call home.”
Crofting is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production unique to Scotland’s islands and Highlands.
More than 750,000 hectares of land in Scotland is in crofting tenure, with approximately 33,000 people living in crofting households.
SAC Consulting has served farmers, crofters, and rural estate owners for more than a century, working across food supply chains to help those it advises rise to the challenge of climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.
Crofters are encouraged to contact SAC Consulting (crofting@sac.co.uk) for independent advice and solutions.
Posted by SAC Consulting on 22/11/2024
