A North East MSP has slammed the Scottish Government’s new Rural Support Plan, branding it “a word salad” that offers little substance for the country’s farming community. Buckie sheep farmer and Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary Tim Eagle accused ministers of ignoring key industry concerns, warning that the lack of clarity and continued funding uncertainty could have serious consequences for farmers and crofters across Scotland.
Buckie sheep farmer and Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary Tim Eagle said: “This Rural Support Plan is nothing more than a word salad that isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
“So many of the industry’s asks have fallen on deaf ears, including calls for multi-annual funding, which the Scottish Government has refused to commit to.
“Farmers and crofters were expecting clarity on environmental schemes, whether payments would be capped or front-loaded on basic support, whether the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme would be rebased and what specifically would be given for new entrants or young farmers.
“Alarmingly, this document shows real-terms cuts every year for the next five years.
“The document is empty of any key information, which ultimately means farmers won’t be able to plan ahead, resulting in huge uncertainty over what the future looks like for their businesses and rural areas.
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“The Scottish Government has deliberately left the release of this document until the final days of parliament to ensure the future of farming can’t be scrutinised.
“That should tell every farmer what the SNP thinks of them at one of the greatest times of need for the industry.
“Yet again, the SNP are treating Scotland’s agriculture sector as an afterthought and this so-called support plan will do little to restore confidence in the industry.”
