Amidst the backroom battles in the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) it appears agreement has been made on a single payment rate model for rural support from 2025.

In the minutes of the board’s meeting on April 21 it states the 'new payment models will be made clear with agreement on a single payment rate based on simplification'.

A single payment rate would see the scrapping of Scotland’s current three regions with all hectares paid the same. However it remains unclear if the single payment rate backed by the ARIOB would include a ‘scale-back’ option to prevent large and lightly stocked units from being over compensated. The ARIOB’s recommendations are likely to form the basis of upcoming Agricultural bill which will define farm support from 2025 in Scotland.

Despite agreement over a single payment rate there appears to be much debate behind the scenes over other details of future rural policy. After the union presented its payment plans, which focus on rewarding active farming, the minutes report criticism that its vision could restrict farmers wanting to change land use.

Read more: Brian Henderson's Arable Matters: Will ARIOB set our pulses racing?

The meeting report states that: "Care will have to be taken to ensure that this [the NFUS proposal] doesn’t lock in a disincentive to land-use change and that farmers, looking to change the use of their active land, will be able to do so. The definition of ‘activity’ will be part of the co-development process.”

Alongside support for the union’s single region plan, the ARIOB backed the effective scrapping of entitlements. The minutes state: “Entitlements will also be re-clarified as no more than tokens allowing for active users to make a claim for public support.”

However the union’s vision is at odds with the ARIOB vision as the minutes state they wanted to see 'a cap applied at basic payment rate, and the removal of the need for ANC / LFASS successors' – both of which would be contrary to NFUS opposition to capping and desire to see a continued element of specific upland and hill farming support.

The minutes also recorded that within the meeting one of the board members expressed that: "The updated [Government] Framework remains retrogressive and has the potential to lock in long-term inertia, where people with most land will get most payments and would continue to drive people towards overstocking. The proposals, it was opined, would not deliver climate and nature benefits, and would apply public money where the market would itself take care of the situation.”

Officials responded that the government is committed to ensuring some form of support remains for producers through the transitional period by way of frontloading, and attempted to provide reassurance by re-stating that the base rate of payments would be capped.

Mr Kennedy in the minutes states the proposals represent “a seismic shift for farmers, and stressed that, particularly in light of current events, food production is of paramount importance so the focus should be on bringing farmers and crofters on board.”