Scottish Government have committed to continuing support for the Less Favoured Areas in Scotland. The current Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) remains vital for sustaining agriculture and rural communities in Scotland’s most remote areas, providing essential financial stability for farmers and crofters facing challenging conditions.
However, its reliance on outdated livestock data from 2009 means it no longer reflects current farming realities, disadvantaging active businesses that have changed over time. Rather than pursuing a full rebasing of the scheme, the focus should now be on improving how it operates in the short term while developing a fairer, more responsive system for the future. Efforts are being made to better target available funds so that support reaches the active farmers and crofters who need it most.