Farmers set to receive support payments from scheme
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Farmers and crofters in areas facing natural or other specific constraints will start to receive their share of more than £65 million shortly, with £47 million paid into bank accounts this week.
Payment rates have also been restored to 100 per cent ensuring that Scottish farmers will get an income boost at a challenging time of the year and when they, like others, are seeing costs for goods and services rise.
More than 9000 eligible farmers and crofters in some of Scotland’s most remote and marginalised areas will receive the payments through the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) 2021.
Commenting, Gordon MP Richard Thomson said: “This is a welcome announcement from the Scottish Government for those farmers who qualify for Less Favoured Area Support payments.
“This year in particular, our farmers and producers face increased production costs as the price of fertiliser and fuel in particular add to the pressures. I’m therefore pleased the Scottish Government have restored the payment rates to 100 per cent.”
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon MSP said: “Farmers and crofters continue to ensure that the nation is fed, even in the challenging times we’ve experienced over the past few years between the pandemic and issues caused by Brexit.
"It’s important that we can continue to give them security by providing them with the cash flow they need to continue operating and this funding will help us do that.
“We’re committed to supporting them for all the hard work they do and I’m pleased to say we’ve brought the LFASS rate back up to 100 per cent and that these payments will start to reach farmers and crofters from next week.”
