The Scottish Government has awarded £34 million to farmers and crofters to help them protect the environment and mitigate the impact of climate change.
The funding, which is the latest award through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), has been awarded to 472 farm businesses across Scotland.
However, while the announcement was welcomed by NFU Scotland, the union’s environmental regulations policy manager Jenny Brunton said 2019 AECS contracts were still not in place, and successful applicants were still waiting on an “authority to start work” letter.
“The delay in commencement of works, in conjunction with the ongoing period of challenging weather, must be taken into consideration should applicants be unable to meet prescriptive calendar dates or requests for variations to their contracts,” she said.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said the scheme had proven to be a successful way of supporting farmers, crofters and land managers to promote environmentally-friendly practices.
“This latest funding to 472 individuals and rural businesses will support and promote a greener and more prosperous environment, through improving water quality, managing flood risks, protecting natural habitats and promoting biodiversity.”
The money is used for projects such as improving water quality, managing flood risks, protecting natural habitats and promoting biodiversity.
Scottish Natural Heritage chief executive Francesca Osowska said: “A nature-rich Scotland is key to reducing the effects of climate change, so it’s great news that farmers and crofters will have additional funding.”
