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).
The start of this year’s SSBSS payments is a positive and much-needed boost for Scotland’s suckler beef producers. These payments provide vital support to a sector that underpins so many of our rural and island communities, while continuing to deliver high-quality, sustainable beef. The 2025 scheme year is the first year of the additional conditionality, where a cow must have a calving interval of 410 days or less for her calf to be eligible for SSBSS payment, with calves from first-time calvers exempt from the calving interval conditions.
From the overall SSBSS budget of £40 million, £34 million is for eligible mainland calves and £6 million for island calf claims. Timely payments are essential to maintaining confidence and cashflow on farm, particularly as many businesses continue to face rising costs and ongoing uncertainty. That pressure is only intensifying, with recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East already feeding through into input prices. We are now seeing suppliers apply surcharges linked to the Iran conflict, with fertiliser prices rising sharply. Fuel costs are also moving upwards again, with question marks over supply of both fuel and fertiliser.
Processing of 2025 payments has begun, with payments due to start reaching bank accounts from 8 April 2026. The SSBSS 2025 individual animal payment rates have been calculated as:
• Mainland: £127.20 per animal
• Islands: £175.90 per animal
We have reached out to the Scottish Government’s Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) to gain figures on the number of calves claimed and the number that were eligible; however, we have been advised that this data is not yet available. We have also asked for figures on how many force majeure applications were submitted, and how many were successful or unsuccessful, to gain a clearer understanding of how the process worked in practice. We will continue to engage with RPID and meet to discuss the 2025 claim year figures and analysis in detail.
We have also asked the Scottish Government what analysis will be undertaken following the introduction of the calving interval conditionality in the 2025 scheme year. We are clear that this must include an assessment of herd performance and the impact on the number of calves claimed, particularly for smaller units. We welcomed the small producer derogation announced at the Royal Highland Show 2025, following our lobbying, which recognised the disproportionate impact the conditionality could have on smaller producers.
As we move forward, while we welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to the scheme until 2028, it remains crucial that the SSBSS is backed by clear guidance and a longer-term vision. Above all, it must continue to support active producers, sustain Scotland’s suckler herd, and provide the confidence needed to invest in the future. Ensuring the scheme evolves in line with industry needs will be key to delivering a resilient and productive agricultural sector in Scotland.