Farming union leaders have just returned from Brussels, where they questioned officials about the short and medium-term future of the less favoured areas (LFA) support scheme.
Scotland’s biggest rural development measure delivers about £65million of non-competitive support annually to active farmers and crofters in disadvantaged areas of the country.
While the short-term future for LFA fundingis secure, it is required to evolve into an areas of natural constraint (ANC) support scheme from 2017.
This means that agricultural land designated as having natural constraints may be eligible for support to encourage continued use of that land.
Roughly the same amount of land in Scotland is likely to be designated ANC as has been LFA but the way support to businesses is calculated will be very different.
NFU Scotland(NFUS) is keen to secure a smooth transition between LFA and ANC schemes, and to make sure the newfunding continues to deliver valuable support to farms and crofts.
Speaking on his return from Brussels, NFUS LFA committee vice-chairman Martin Kennedy said: “The many economic and environmental benefits delivered by the LFA make it a success story for Scotland.
“We are adamant that those same positive outcomes must be secured under any future ANC support scheme.
“That will be challenging as the new rural development regulations are more limiting in how future support can be targeted.”
He added: “We met European Commission officials…and found them receptive to our concerns, urging NFUS and the Scottish Government to work together on proposals that can meet Scotland’s needs.
“We have invited those officials to Scotland to see first-hand the challenges we face, most notably moving from a scheme where payments are based on individual holdings to more aggregated payments…based on parishes.
“The extreme variability of Scottish agriculture within the LFA area needs to be taken into account under the future scheme.
“Getting the profile of future ANC payments right will be as important as the introduction of new area-based direct support and just as challenging.”