I’m pleased to welcome the publication of the Scottish Government’s first Rural Support Plan, as a landmark moment for the North East’s agricultural heartlands
The plan, unveiled by Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie, provides a clear roadmap for agricultural support from 2026 to 2030. It introduces a new four-tier framework designed to replace legacy EU schemes, ensuring that Scotland’s farmers and crofters receive the most generous direct support package in the UK.
Crucially for the North East, an agricultural area known for high-quality malting barley and world-class beef production, the plan addresses sustainable food production alongside climate and nature challenges.
By locking in direct support for the next five years, the Scottish Government is providing the clarity and certainty necessary for local food producers to invest for the long term, while the transition to the new framework has been designed specifically to avoid the cliff edges witnessed in other parts of the UK.
North East Scotland is an engine room in Scotland’s agricultural economy. From our productive arable lands to our famous livestock sectors, our farmers need a concrete plan and the SNP is delivering that.
Unlike the rest of the UK, Scotland is a net food exporter and this Rural Support Plan reflects how important food producers are to our economy.
And also, unlike the Westminster government’s repeatedly indifferent and shambolic attitude to agriculture, it provides a five-year window of stability that allows our local farming families to plan for the future with confidence.
While the Westminster government’s approach has left rural communities in the dark in England, the Scottish Government is stepping up with a framework that protects our food security and supports our environment in a way that is fair and managed.
I particularly welcome the focus on active farming. This ensures that support reaches those who are actually working the land and sustaining the North East economy.
The plan has also drawn positive reactions from NFU Scotland which has described the publication as a “significant milestone” and an “important step forward” in shaping the future of the sector. In particular, the NFUS specifically welcomed the locking-in of direct support commitments – a key priority for the NFUS – which provides the stability vital for farm businesses.
Photo with: NFUS Vice-President Duncan MacAlister; Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and Kinross-shire; Seamus Logan MP; and Jonny Hall, Director of Policy, NFUS, at a meeting in Westminster earlier this week,
