SCOTLAND’S CROFTERS are to continue to have access to a government-funded bull stud, environment minister Roseanna Cunningham has announced.

Lifting the axe that has been hanging over the crofters’ bull hire scheme for several years, Ms Cunningham said that a “modern, streamlined” bull stud would continue to be run by the Scottish Government to secure the quality of livestock in crofting areas.

However, she also emphasised that, in the long term, communities should work towards keeping and maintaining their own bulls.

“The best way to ensure the continued quality of livestock in crofting areas is a reduced, streamlined stud base at Inverness,” said the minister.

“I asked the Review Group to consider community-run studs. They concluded that this is not practicable in the short term for a number of reasons.

“Nevertheless, my long-term view remains that communities should provide this facility for themselves. Community groups should start to build their own capacity with a view to running studs where bulls are needed most.”

The Crofters’ Bull Hire Scheme has been funded and operated by the Government since 1897, offering subsidised bull hire at some 60% of the full cost. The most recent version of the scheme, the Crofters Cattle Quality Improvement Scheme, was introduced in 2005, hiring bulls at a fee of £500, plus an overwintering charge of £350, £80 towards transport costs and £17 for insurance as well as VAT.

Between 2006 and 2008, on average, 120 bulls were hired to approximately 450 participants in 106 crofting townships. These bulls served 4083 cows in 2008 out of a total of 28,315 cows held on crofts, representing 14% of crofters cows.

That low uptake caught the attention of the Shucksmith Inquiry into the future of crofting, which reported in May 2008 with a recommendation that support for bull hire should change.

The then minister for environment, Michael Russell, announced the setting up of an independent Review Group to look at ways of helping crofters keep or hire bulls in the future. Chaired by Sarah Allen, and tasked to look at the objectives of a bull scheme and identify practical and affordable options for maintaining quality livestock in crofting areas, that Group reported to ministers at the end of November 2009.