Total Income from Farming Estimates for Scotland, 2016-18

Support payments increased 5% in 2018

Most funding is through Basic Payments, which are paid as long as farming activity is taking place. Other funding, called Greening, is given for implementing environmental policies, with additional funding, called LFASS, paid to those farming in upland and remote areas where there are natural disadvantages.

Total support payments to farming in 2018 - £502 million

The profitability of farming was heavily dependent on subsidies.

Basic Payments are estimated to increase seven per cent in 2018 to £281 million. This is due to the amount paid by the EU increasing, as the EU moves to make payments per hectare more equal throughout Europe. The exchange rate with the euro remained fairly constant.

Other subsidies included £142 million in Greening payments, £66 million in LFASS payments in areas where farming is difficult, and £9 million in the Rural Priorities Scheme.

These figures do not include £47 million in subsidies directly linked to livestock production, which are therefore included in the values of output. Once these are included total subsidies accounted for 82 per cent of TIFF.