ACCESS to land is the biggest barrier to new entrants getting onto the farming ladder – that has been acknowledged by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who said that the ‘threat’ of Brexit had shone a light on the need to encourage new entrants into the sector.

Addressing the Quality Meat Scotland breakfast on the Friday of the Royal Highland Show, the First Minister stated: “There is a need to attract new entrants into farming and we’re making more land available for start-up farms. In the past three years, public bodies have contributed a further 6400 hectares for that purpose and 61 new farmers have benefited.

On the Thursday afternoon of the RHS, NFU Scotland hosted a reception to celebrate its Next Generation Group, bringing together committee members and interested parties. Chair of the group and dairy farmer Colin Ferguson opened proceedings: “It is our responsibility to play a key role in ensuring that the industry we build now is sustainable for future generations. Support for young people is essential to fix the broken farming ladder. Whether that means gaining your first farming tenancy or taking control of your family business, the Next Generation group is working with the wider union to drive change in policy to make the letting of land more mutually beneficial to landlords and tenants alike.

"We have also launched our Joint Venture Hub, which behind the scenes is referred to as Tinder for farmers, a service which can match individuals looking to slow down in their farming enterprises with the next generation of Scotland’s food producers,” he explained.

The Scottish Government closed the New Entrant Capital Grant Scheme last August, which caused an outcry in parts of the industry. That funding scheme had provided grants to young farmers and start-up businesses wishing to take progressive steps to improve their businesses.

Rural affairs minister Mairi Gougeon reflected on the closure of the scheme but stressed that focus must turn to addressing the issue of availability of land: “When it comes to supporting new entrants and the next generation, I am truly passionate! There has been disappointment about the closure of certain schemes in the past but in those cases, they were a victim of their own success – fully exhausting their funding.

“Finance is part of the equation but access to land is probably the biggest barrier and we want to keep helping new entrants get their first rung on the ladder. We will continue to work with new entrants to make sure they have the tools for success,” she concluded.

Before the RHS, the Royal Bank of Scotland announced the extension of its ‘Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme’ which offers young people living and working in rural Scotland an opportunity to take part in an eight-week course to 'grow and develop their business ideas'. The Entrepreneurship Development Manager for RBS in the West of Scotland, Janice Cunningham, explained: “There is such innovation here in Scotland and we want to help keep it here by harnessing and nourishing the talent we have. We are encouraging all individuals who are keen to develop their business and we will help them to grow.

“Through this course we want to help the participants grow and develop their personal and business toolkit. We want people to positively contribute to the rural economy and keep them in rural areas, not to scatter to cities or below the border."