DEFRA Cuts: Scotland waiting for spending detail
Scotland’s farm industry leaders have warned that farming could be hit hard by the £1.3bn of spending cuts imposed on the Scottish government.
About 21,600 farmers and crofters register with the Scottish Government to participate in support schemes.
In addition to measures which are standard across the UK, a number of enhanced payments or top-up schemes have been introduced north of the border. It is this extra financial help that NFU Scotland said that it feared was under threat.
Extra funding for Scottish farms in 2009/2010
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But with a lack of detail from Westminster and Holyrood on how the spending review will break down, NFU Scotland policy director, Scott Walker admitted it may be months before ministers confirmed where the cuts would fall.
“The reductions in DEFRA’s budget will undoubtedly affect farmers in Scotland. We will have to wait and see how DEFRA decides to make its annual savings, although the Richard MacDonald Farming Regulation Task Force report should highlight ways in which DEFRA can do things better and at lower cost.
“It is always worth remembering that the largest block of spending to agriculture comes from EU money and is therefore unaffected by cuts that the Scottish Government will have to implement.”