Hill farmers have started receiving payments for the 2022 Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS). The scheme is paying out to 1134 farmers and crofters who applied with 115,886 eligible ewe hoggs. From a pot of £7m each payment is worth £61.25 per head.

NFU Scotland LFA Chair Peter Kennedy said: “SUSSS is a vital source of support for more than a thousand hill sheep farmers and crofters and, in a year when every penny counts, they will make the most of this valuable funding stream. We welcome the delivery of payments on schedule.

“This support is not only important for farmers and crofters producing a fantastic product from some of the toughest farmland, but also to the local communities which see a huge amount of reinvestment from these businesses.

“It underlines the importance of headage schemes and the value they deliver as we start to transition towards new support arrangements for farmers and crofters in the future.

“Sheep farming plays an integral role in the preservation of our natural landscapes and prosperity of our rural communities, as well as making an important contribution to our national economy.”

The SUSS provides an additional payment per ewe hogg per year for farms more than 80% region 3 land and less than 200Ha of region 1 land. The payments are made on retained ewe hoggs which must be kept until at least spring the year after their birth. Previous year claims have been below £60/hogg when more claims are made to the fixed budget. The aim of the scheme was to compensate for the lower area payment in region three with the money focused on active farmers. The SUSS is one of Scotland's two couple payments which directly reward production, the other being the beef calf scheme.