SCOTLAND'S four-year Young Farmer Start-up Grant scheme has been described as a "victim of its own success", with most of its £6million budget allocated in the first year.
Earlier this week, Lib-Dem MSP Mike Rumbles highlighted that, with £5.23million already committed to successful applicants, very little had been left to cover the three years yet to come, which he described as 'unfair' to those aspiring young farmers yet to apply to the scheme. 
However, NFU Scotland has since stated that it was 'right' that the government had spent the money on the 90 young farmers who had come forward in year one.
Said Mr Rumbles: “Though I welcome the assistance to a number of young aspiring farmers that has already been made, this is incredibly unfair on those applying for future rounds of the grant who will lose out.
“A great deal of effort is put into completing these applications and young farmers may well feel their efforts are all for nought. Assurances must be given that those aspiring to be farmers will be given the support they need and deserve,” he said.
But a spokesperson for Rural Economy Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing retorted: "Our start up grants for young farmers have been a real success, with 90 young people all over Scotland receiving the support they need to become farmers. Only a Liberal Democrat could see that as a problem.
“Of course, we want to do more and we are currently considering options to provide additional funding to enable more of the next generation of farmers to make their contribution to the future well-being of our rural economy.”
NFUS chief executive Scott Walker commented: “Getting started in farming has never been easy but it has got harder over the years. If not taking over an existing family farm, then access to land, the capital costs for stock, buildings and machinery and the low returns from farming are all difficulties that must be overcome.
“The young farmers start up grant is one of the ways that a new generation of farmers can be helped into the industry. This help for fledgling rural businesses is vitally important to get them started.
“However, the start-up grant has been a victim of its own success. Demand has been high and virtually all the money has been allocated in the first year," conceded Mr Walker. “It is right that the Scottish Government has spent the money in year one and given these businesses a solid platform on which to build.
“But given the importance and success of the scheme, it is now up to Scottish Government and stakeholders to look at how it can continue in future years and provide the help that a new generation of farmers require.”
A spokesperson for the SAYFC said: “We welcome the Scottish Government's commitment to support more young people starting up a new agricultural business. We recognise that the new SRDP grant schemes have been very popular due to the large amount of talented young people we have in this country looking to get started in farming, and we, like the Scottish Government, are actively looking for ways to encourage this talent for the benefit of rural Scotland.”