UNCERTAINTY over the future of Scotland’s agri-environment schemes is becoming a political sore point, caught in the deadlock between Westminster and Holyrood about the future of rural funding outwith the European Union.

NFU Scotland this week wrote to the Scottish Government to request a clear steer on whether or not the core AECS scheme would be continuing in the years ahead.

The union acknowledged that there were ScotGov pilot schemes underway for the 2021 to 2024 period, but said it was ‘regrettable’ that there was no clear commitment that broad agri-environment funding would be maintained over this interim period.

With over 3000 farms crofts and estates enrolled in the existing AECS, it had a ‘strong buy in’ from the industry, said NFUS, making it an effective mechanism to ensure that farmers, crofters and land managers were incentivised and rewarded for delivering on environmental issues.

Union president Andrew McCornick said: “It is disappointing that there is no clear commitment to allow and encourage farmers and crofters to undertake biodiversity measures, water quality improvements, flooding mitigation, organic conversion, public access provision, and the like.

“There must be no gap in support for agri-environment support to ensure farmers and crofters have the confidence in future schemes to continue to come forward with proposals and applications and ensure Scotland continues to deliver on environmental goals.”

In response, a Scottish Government spokesperson said that only once there is ‘greater clarity over funding from the UK Government for wider rural support’ could Cabinet Secretaries decide how to proceed to ensure that there is adequate support in place for activity to enhance the environment and help reduce carbon emissions in farming and food production.

“We want to support farmers and crofters to farm sustainably in the future and crucially, play their part in addressing climate change,” said ScotGov. “We will continue to press the UK Government on this issue and ensure farmers and crofters are kept fully informed.”