Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme in Scotland: consultation analysis

1. Introduction

Background

The Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme (sometimes referred to “the scheme” throughout this document) is a legacy EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheme. The Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme is established by and under Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, which is supplemented by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/891 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892. The EU legislation was brought into domestic law at the point of EU Exit so that it could carry on as it originally operated.

The scheme provides aid to groups of fruit and vegetable growers, recognised as producer organisations (POs), to encourage collaboration and strategic planning to increase output quality and competitiveness. POs also provide a mechanism for promoting environmentally sound cultivation practices and production techniques, and climate change mitigation.

The support provided by the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme has played an important role in sustaining the Scottish edible horticulture sector. In an industry where margins are low and operating at scale is necessary, the encouragement to collaborate has helped a large proportion of Scottish growers, particularly small to medium-sized primary producers.

Financial assistance is payable to producer organisations in the horticulture sector that submit an operational programme (a business plan) which meets the scheme’s regulatory requirements and fits within the UK Strategy and Environmental Framework. Operational funds are match-funded by contributions from producer organisation members and supports them to plan and continually develop their activities.

To date, the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme has been delivered largely on a UK-wide basis. However from the 2026 scheme year and onwards, the scheme in Scotland will be delivered directly by the Scottish Government for Scottish POs. It is considered an opportune time to consider how the scheme can continue to support Scottish growers in the best way possible.

Call for stakeholder views on the future of the Frut and Vegetables Aid Scheme in Scotland

The consultation sought views from stakeholders on specific aspects of the regulations where the Scottish Government has identified that there is scope to make operational amendments which would help contribute to the longevity of, and certainty around, the scheme. In addition, more general views to inform future development of the scheme, and which will form the basis of a future consultation, were welcome.

Respondent profile

In total, 19 consultation responses were received. Most were submitted via Citizen Space, an online consultation platform. Those received in an alternative format, such as a PDF document or an email, were reviewed by the same analysis team.

Fifteen responses were provided by organisations and the remaining 3 were from individuals. One response was discarded due to the respondent using a fraudulent identity.

Analysis approach

The main purpose of consultation analysis is to understand the full range of views expressed and this report provides a thematic analysis of responses based on the analysis approach outlined below.

It should be noted that some respondents shared lengthy responses reflecting their specific subject matter expertise. These responses are referenced where possible and full responses to the consultation, where permission for publication was granted, can be found on the Scottish Government’s consultation website.

Qualitative analysis

The consultation included 9 closed questions and 11 open questions. As the majority of the questions were open, most of the analysis is qualitative. Where questions were closed, percentages are reported.

As part of the qualitative analysis process, key themes across responses to each question were identified. The analysis team developed a draft coding framework based on the consultation questions and some early responses. During the coding process, new codes were created as more responses came in and as additional themes emerged.

In a small number of instances where a response contained information that did not align with the specific question, analysts exercised judgement around the most relevant place to include this material for analytical purposes.

As has been pointed out in other consultation analysis reports, when reviewing the qualitative analysis in this report, it is important for the reader to consider:

• Public consultations invite everyone to express their views; individuals and organisations interested in the topic are more likely to respond than those without a direct or known interest. This self-selection means the views of respondents do not necessarily represent the views of the entire population.
• Qualitative questions are included in the consultation to allow respondents to elaborate on their views. However, not all respondents chose to comment, with those who commented providing varying levels of detail. The qualitative analysis is, therefore, based on the information provided by those who commented.
• Where differences between the views of individuals and organisations, or by type of organisation were evident in qualitative responses, these have been noted. If no specific differences are highlighted, then a mix of respondents raised a theme.
• If respondents raised the same issues or suggestions at multiple questions, regardless of the specific focus of the question, then these views are all included in this report. However, analysts exercised judgment about the most relevant place in the report to include each theme to avoid repetition.
• All themes including views shared by small numbers of respondents, are covered; a view expressed by a very small number of participants is not given less weight than more general comments shared by a majority. All responses have equal weighting, whether from individuals or organisations. This ensures all views are presented.