NFU Scotland has responded to the European Commission’s latest budget proposal with alarm, warning that sweeping cuts to agricultural funding in Europe, and similar moves across the UK, underscore the importance of Scotland’s distinct approach to farm support.
Andrew Connon NFU Scotland President, said: “The EU’s new budget proposal is sobering. At a time when the overall EU budget is increasing, a near 25% cut to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - alongside the dismantling of its core direct support structure - is staggering. Farmers across Europe are being asked to deliver more with far less.
“It’s not just an EU issue. In Wales, the new Sustainable Farming Scheme will slash Basic Payment by 40% in 2026. In England, direct support will disappear entirely by 2027, replaced by the much-criticised Sustainable Farming Incentive and fragmented grant schemes.
“A similar scenario in Scotland would be catastrophic - a cliff edge many farms and crofts would not survive.”
NFU Scotland emphasised the hard-won commitments it has secured from successive First Ministers, guaranteeing that at least 70% of future agricultural funding will be retained as direct support, with the majority channelled through Tier 1 Base Payments.
“That principle of stability is essential,” Connon added, “because it underpins our ability to produce high-quality food, deliver on climate and biodiversity goals, and sustain rural livelihoods.”
NFU Scotland warned that the current direction of travel in other parts of the UK and Europe presents a cautionary tale and reaffirmed its commitment to securing a bespoke and stable agricultural policy for Scotland.
“Scotland must chart its own path and it is essential that all political parties in Scotland, in the run-up to the next election, commit to maintaining and increasing a multi-year agricultural budget that gives our sector long-term security,” Connon concluded.
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Contact Carly Ross on 07860 642826