Rural Support Plan (RSP)

Ministerial Foreword

The publication of the first Rural Support Plan marks a major milestone in the development of future agricultural support policy. The Plan is designed to provide you with clarity and certainty enabling you to have the confidence to invest for the long term.

At the heart of our Rural Support Plan are people. Our farmers, crofters, land managers and rural communities – farming and crofting are part of the life blood of rural Scotland. You are the stewards of our majestic countryside, working in all weathers to maintain our landscapes, producing food sustainably and taking positive actions for nature and climate. You are the bedrock of our rural economy underpinning our wider food and drink sectors. As a government we understand farming and crofting can be difficult with so many factors outwith your control, from increasingly extreme weather events to volatile commodity markets – all of which seek to underline the important role we as government have in providing support and stability. We know that without people and thriving businesses in rural Scotland, we would not have the vital delivery mechanism for many of our ambitions for climate, nature and sustainable food production.

The government remains absolutely committed to working in partnership with industry as we deliver the Vision for Agriculture.

Our future support framework consists of four tiers through which support will be delivered: base, enhanced, elective and complementary. In the near term, existing reformed schemes which are familiar to the sector, will be delivered through the various tiers. Support through the tiers will enable farmers and crofters to undertake actions which will deliver towards the key objectives of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.

By working in partnership, we will ensure Scotland becomes a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, whilst also ensuring agriculture continues to play a central role in driving economic growth including in the wider food and drink sector.

The Scottish Government has committed to providing certainty to 2030 and beyond – that is why we will continue to deliver direct support in stark contrast to policies elsewhere. In other words, there will be no big bang moment and there will be no financial cliff edges - that is our commitment to you.

Certainty, however, does not mean no change. Whilst we will deliver 70% of funding through direct payments – farmers and crofters will need to do more for climate and nature. Carefully considered incremental changes, developed in partnership with the sector, are underway from new enhanced greening measures to new calving interval conditionality for the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme – all designed to deliver steady progress across key outcomes whilst ensuring stability for the sector.

Over the period that this Rural Support Plan covers we will work with the sector to ensure changes to support work for your business and for nature and climate. Let me be very clear, we will ensure changes work for active farmers and crofters – we are determined to ensure support only goes to active farmers and crofters - those that are delivering key outcomes from sustainable food production and action on climate and nature to supporting and underpinning thriving rural communities.

Importantly that includes ensuring our support mechanisms work for small producers – we will ensure access requirements to support are proportionate and that we are committed to developing piloting innovative mechanisms to support our vital network of small producers.

In conclusion, as we modernise our support we will take a balanced approach – one with the needs of rural people and businesses at its heart. We know that farmers and crofters deliver multiple outcomes – stewarding our iconic landscapes, sustaining rural communities and producing food.

As a government we will walk by your side as we face the challenges of the future – enabling a thriving rural economy which delivers for people, food production, climate and nature.

Jim Fairlie MSP

Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

Rural Support Plan 2026-2030