Blog The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) has long played a critical role in sustaining agricultural activity and supporting rural communities across Scotland’s most fragile and remote areas. For many farmers and crofters operating in challenging environments, it remains a cornerstone of financial stability and a key tool in maintaining livestock production where it might otherwise be at risk.
08/04/2026
Blog NFUS are concerned at the recent announcement of significant increases in Food Standards Scotland (FSS) charges. The increases will result in serious and growing pressure on the red meat supply chain, with potential direct consequences for farmers. These concerns echo those raised by the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW), who have warned that rising regulatory costs are becoming increasingly unsustainable for processors.
07/04/2026
Blog Faced with low levels of economic growth, global conflict, and difficult international politics, the UK government wants to strengthen its relationships with reliable allies. Including the EU. The UK and EU are now negotiating a closer trading relationship. As part of this, the UK needs to negotiate a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU. SPS covers plant and animal health and welfare regulations. These are directly relevant to you, our members, as this applies to all products and not just those for export to the EU. These negotiations are ongoing and continuing quickly.
06/04/2026
Blog Fertiliser’s expensive, its future availability is uncertain, and prices are rapidly shifting. With some of you having to place orders without even knowing the cost. This isn’t just a Scotland problem. Farmers around the world, from Australia to Zimbabwe, are having to deal with this. The way the Middle East conflict is going, it looks like food could be scarce next year.
06/04/2026
Blog NFU Scotland welcomes the start of Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) payments for this year, highlighting the importance of the scheme to beef producers and rural communities across the country. The SSBSS underpins the breeding cow herd that supplies Scotland’s beef sector and, by providing targeted support, helps to maintain suckler production. Scotland’s iconic beef sector continues to deliver, with an estimated output of £1.07 billion (Scottish Red Meat Industry Profile, QMS 2025).
06/04/2026
Blog As Easter approaches, we are seeing an extension of the festive deep discounting by retailers creeping into another public holiday. This weekend’s promotions include carrots, potatoes and swedes being sold for as little as 4p.
02/04/2026
Blog Bluetongue Virus (BTV) is a virus transmitted by midges that affects cattle, sheep, goats, and camelids. There are multiple strains of BTV and the strain currently causing issues in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is BTV-3, although there have been cases of BTV-8 detected. Other strains, including BTV-8, are already present in parts of Europe and continue to pose an additional and evolving threat.
01/04/2026
Blog From 1 April 2026, the new Scottish Agricultural Wages Order (SAWO) comes into force, and as always, it brings a fresh round of updates to pay and conditions across the sector. On the surface, it looks like a fairly straightforward year: wages are up, a few allowances have shifted, and several familiar provisions remain unchanged.
27/03/2026
Blog Many of you will now be aware that the Scottish Government is developing proposals for Permanent Grassland Ecological Focus Areas (PGRS EFAs) as part of the future Tier 2 Enhanced support framework.
26/03/2026
Blog The UK Government has stated several times that ‘food security is national security’. In the face of the Middle East conflict, we wrote to the Prime Minister highlighting the issues being faced by Scottish Agriculture.
24/03/2026