Scottish Countryside Alliance responds to the 2025/26 Scottish Budget

On Wednesday (4 December 2024) the Scottish Government announced its proposals for next years budget. Despite calls from organisations, such as the Scottish Countryside Alliance and National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) at the farmers rally last week, to increase agricultural funding, the day-to-day spending by the Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands budget is set to fall by 3.1% in real terms.

The Scottish Government have allocated over £660 million in funding for Scottish farmers, crofters, land managers and rural communities. This includes £20 million in a new support plan for farming and food production, £35.5 million to help fund the restoration of more than 15,000 Ha of degraded peatland, and £53 million to the forestry sector to create in excess of 11,000 Ha of woodland across Scotland. £9 million has been proposed for the Islands Programme to enhance essential infrastructure and to help with the increased cost of living in these areas. £14.5 million has been allocated to Marine Fund Scotland to support innovation in the industry.

We supported calls to retain multi-annual funding for the agriculture sector, however this has not been taken forward by the Scottish Government. Future funding will likely only be guaranteed until 2026, maintaining a level of uncertainty for the farming and rural community in Scotland beyond that date. Incoming land reform legislation and the well-publicised farm inheritance tax increases the likelihood of a detrimental effect on those who were once seen as the backbone of rural Scotland.

Jake Swindells, Director for Scotland commented:

“When every aspect of farming and land management costs more year on year, it is disappointing that funding has been cut overall, and that support for farmers just does not seem to be there. It appears that, UK-wide, some grants have also been placed on hold, and the only explanation for this is that the pot is empty as not enough money has been allocated to such a vital sector in the first place. Holyrood needs to start taking rural Scotland more seriously.”