FARMERS will no longer be "handed out" farm subsidies, and these will have to be "earned", after Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, announced he wants a green Brexit.

Although payments will remain the same until 2022, farmers' leaders want to look at what more the current £3billion spend on farmers could be used for, including the environment, infrastructure, and promoting British food.

Mr Gove also announced that the current Common Agricultural Policy's Basic Payment Scheme would be scrapped, as it tended to give money to some of Britain's wealthiest landowners, but not to those who work the land and provide "good environmental practice". He noted that those particular landowners can earn up to £3million per year through the Basic Payment Scheme.

Speaking at WWF's Living Planet Centre today, Mr Gove said: “There are very good reasons why we should provide support for agriculture.

"Seventy per cent of our land is farmed - beautiful landscape has not happened by accident but has been actively managed.

“Agriculture is an industry more susceptible to outside shocks and unpredictable events - whether it’s the weather or disease.

"So financial assistance and mechanisms which can smooth out the vicissitudes farmers face make sense."

He also added that he wished to help farmers in Britain's highlands, as farming there without subsidies is "impossible".

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing, commented that Brexit is the "biggest" threat to rural Scotland, and that is why the Scottish Government wanted to remain within the EU, as it believed doing so was the best option for the future of Scotland. He added that such decisions about agriculture should be left in the hands of ScotGov.

He explained: "We have repeatedly made clear that Brexit should not be used as cover for a power grab, and that powers in areas such as agriculture, fisheries and environmental protection should return to Scotland – not Westminster.

"No one is suggesting we cut ourselves off from collaboration, but this must be done on the basis of respect for the devolved administrations.

"We are prepared to agree any UK-wide approach that is necessary on withdrawal from the EU, but this must be negotiated between the governments, not imposed by the UK Government."

He went on to say that it is "concerning" that the UK government is looking to change financial support within agriculture, without consulting the devolved governments, particularly Scotland, and added: "Scottish farming is more reliant on CAP funds than the rest of the UK due to issues of remoteness and land abandonment, and any attempt to cut support will be strongly opposed by the Scottish Government."

He agreed that the current system does not always work, but this period should be used as a time to improve it. He concluded: "The current CAP is not perfect, but the EU is already looking at CAP reform, so we have an opportunity to improve it.

"That is why we have already insisted that the UK must not disengage from the CAP reform process – as they have done."

National Farmers Union Scotland also responded to Mr Gove's statement, and claimed that it was in line with its discussion document, titled Change – A New Agricultural Policy for Scotland Post-Brexit, and which was launched at this year's Royal Highland Show.

In response, NFUS said: "The union’s vision for the next decade is a managed transition from 2017 to 2027 to an action-based support system.

"It wants to capitalise on new market opportunities, coupled with a new domestic agricultural policy, that will move our farmers and crofters to a position where market returns are the primary driver of profitability."

Director of policy at NFUS, Jonnie Hall, added that while there was much reference to green Brexit, there was a "significant amount" of agricultural content within Mr Gove's speech, which was complementary of NFUS' wishes for Scottish agriculture. He said: “The Secretary of State’s statement that support must be earned chimes with our thoughts.

"We would want to see a properly-funded policy, supported by science-led decision making, that builds on our animal health and welfare record and is focused on productivity and profitability gains.

“That means, in the future, there is a justifiable case for Scottish agriculture to receive the same levels of funding it currently receives, ring-fenced and spent in new and more effective ways to improve productivity, efficiency and resilience.

"That is a central plank of the discussions we will be having with politicians and their officials in the weeks and months ahead."

He went on to add that NFUS were supportive of the fact that Mr Gove recognised that those living in Scotland's hills and uplands heavily rely on the Basic Payment Scheme.

He commented: "Mr Gove also recognised in his speech the importance of support to those living and working in our hills and uplands.

"That is an issue we were able to raise with the minister when we met at the Highland Show, and we have extended an invite to the minister and his team to visit Scotland soon and view the unique and diverse agricultural systems found north of the border."