The new Agriculture Bill will not be ready in time for its post-2025 operation, the Scottish Government admitted this week.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, said the proposed Bill will not be used to make payments as planned in 2025, but instead the existing area payment system would be used to pay farm support, with bolted on extra rules for claimants.

The Government hoped transition to a bespoke rural policy would be possible after that.

Addressing the Parliament on Tuesday, she said: “I can confirm today that I will deliver new conditionality under existing powers, for the 2025 Single Application Form calendar year. It will deliver on our manifesto commitment and statement in our 'Vision for Agriculture', to integrate enhanced conditionality of at least half of all funding by 2025.”

To do this, the Scottish Government will amend the 2020 Act and not bring forward the new framework for 2025 as previously planned. The minister confirmed that the 'enhanced element of the new framework' will launch in 2026, using the powers proposed in the current bill consultation.

Effectively, this will mean that farmers could expect to receive similar payments to their current level on two conditions. Firstly, if they achieve the new bolt-on enhanced conditional requirements in 2025 and secondly, if the agricultural budget is not slashed by ministers.

Keeping the rural budget intact will be challenging as the public purse strings remain ever tighter, as evidenced by Deputy First Minister, John Swinney – acting a temporary finance minister – when he slashed £33m of supposedly ring-fenced agricultural funding in September.

Crucial to farmers receiving their 2025 payment will be a list of ‘enhanced conditionality’ measures, which will likely be focused on climate change, efficiency and biodiversity. These will need to be undertaken to unlock at least 50% of payments.

However, strong calls for a ‘just transition’ from across the industry is likely to lead to a lighter touch as new rules bed in. The government is under a lot of pressure from the farming lobby to ensure that all farm and crofts are able to fulfil their ‘enhanced conditionality’ measures and that ‘no farm be left behind’.

Read more: Consultation on the future of rural Scotland

The SF asked the Scottish Government if farmers could expect similar payments in 2025 if they achieve the ‘enhanced conditionality’ and the budget remains in place.

This was the response: “We are supporting our farmers, crofters and land managers to produce more high quality and sustainable food as well as ensuring our food system is more resilient.

“We will improve nature and climate outcomes across the agricultural sector, farms building on the work of the farmer led groups and the national test programme. In 2025, we intend to apply additional conditions to encourage all farmers and crofters to demonstrate that they are delivering these objectives."

When asked where any unspent support money would end up, a spokesperson said: “These proposals are not intended to release funds for other purposes, but they will demonstrate the value of local food production and the key role farmers and crofters play achieving our climate and nature targets.”

The deadline for the consultation into the Agricultural Bill has been extended by two weeks to December 5 and the Scottish Government has added another meeting in Orkney, on November 28, at the Albert Hotel, in Kirkwall, to its list of meetings.