Scotland’s farmers have been promised post-Brexit support that is far more responsive to their needs than the ‘not fit for purpose’ Common Agricultural Policy under which the industry currently operates.
That is the headline pledge contained in the Scottish Conservatives’ future farming policy document, published yesterday under the title A New Approach To Scottish Farming.
Focusing on productivity, regional differentiation, environmental protection, research, education and ‘securing the future of farming careers’, the document includes a commitment to provide farmers with practical, simple support that is easy and quick to access, and that will ‘continue the same levels of funding’ which the industry already has.
Scottish agriculture’s unique circumstances are also recognised, with 85% of land classed as less favoured compared to 15% in England, a difference which the document states must be acknowledged, with funding ‘maintained to help overcome the difficulties posed by remoteness, harsh climate and poor soil quality’.
