A French scheme which helps farmers pay for replacement workers during maternity leave could provide a model for Scotland, where self-employed farmers can receive financial support but must arrange their own farm cover.
For farmers, taking maternity leave can be more complicated than simply stepping away from work.
Cows still need milked, livestock needs fed and checked, and other day-to-day jobs on the farm still have to be done.
In the UK, eligible self-employed women can claim Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks, but there is no dedicated agricultural scheme which pays for someone to replace them on the farm.
France
Through its agricultural social security system, the Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA), agricultural workers who are self-employed can receive a maternity replacement allowance to help cover the cost of bringing someone in while they are on leave.
The replacement can be arranged through a recognised local replacement service, with the MSA paying the allowance directly to the service. If the service cannot provide cover, the farmer can employ one or more workers directly and receive reimbursement for eligible costs, subject to the scheme's conditions.
For a first or second child, the standard French maternity leave period for non-salaried agricultural workers is 16 weeks, although longer periods apply in certain circumstances, including for a third or subsequent child and multiple births.
The French approach could be of particular interest to livestock and dairy farmers, where taking several weeks away from the farm can be difficult without someone available to take over the daily workload.
Norway
France is not the only country to recognise the cost of replacing farmers.
In Norway, agricultural businesses can receive government support towards the cost of replacement labour when a farmer is absent because of pregnancy, birth, adoption, illness or certain caring responsibilities.
For 2026, the maximum subsidy for replacement linked to pregnancy and birth is NOK 3050, or around £241, per day, although the amount a farm receives depends on factors including income and the documented cost of the replacement. Livestock and year-round greenhouse businesses can qualify for replacement support throughout the year.
Ireland
Ireland currently does not have paid maternity or paternity leave specifically for farmers.
However, the European Commission's proposed CAP reforms would, for the first time, allow farmers to access relief services and replacement workers when they are sick, on leave or dealing with family responsibilities.
The proposals are still subject to the EU legislative process, but could give member states greater scope to support farm relief services under the next CAP.
New Zealand
New Zealand provides parental leave payments to eligible self-employed people, including farmers, for up to 26 weeks. To qualify, a self-employed person must generally have worked an average of at least 10 hours a week over any 26 of the 52 weeks before the relevant date.
The payments are designed to replace income rather than provide a replacement worker. From July 1, 2026, the maximum parental leave payment is NZ$811.05 (£355 approx) a week before tax, with a minimum payment of NZ$239.50 (£105 approx) for eligible self-employed people.
The different approaches raise the question of whether financial support alone is enough to allow farmers to take maternity leave.
For a farmer with livestock, finding someone with the experience and skills to take over the farm may be just as important as replacing lost income.
Unlike an office worker, a farmer cannot simply close the laptop and return to work after several months away.
Someone still has to milk the cows, feed livestock, check stock and deal with the day-to-day decisions that keep the business operating.
A French- or Norwegian-style approach could therefore be worth considering in Scotland, particularly as the industry looks at how to support young farmers and make farming a more attractive career for the next generation.
Share