Call for more support for North East and Scotland after Farming Recovery Fund announced in England – Scottish Business News

LIAM Kerr MSP has urged the Scottish Government to offer more support to North East farms which have been impacted by flooding over recent months after a Farming Recovery Fund was announced in England.

At the Scottish Parliament, Mr Kerr referenced the hardship faced by farmers across Scotland after recent storms and a difficult winter which has severely dented their output. 

Last week, the NFU in England welcomed £50 million worth of support to help farmers hit by the exceptionally wet weather as part of the Farming Recovery Fund.

It comes in addition to Prime Minister’s Rishi Sunak’s 75m flood fighting fund and an index for UK-wide food security issues at the UK Government’s Farm to Fork summit.

But asked what support was being given by the Scottish Government, farming minister Jim Fairlie admitted he wasn’t aware of the scheme in England and said they were “still waiting on applications” from farmers for its £1.8 million Capital Grants Fund.

In his question, Mr Kerr asked: “Recently the Prime Minister announced a £75m flood fighting fund and an index for UK-wide food security issues.

“Last week’s pledge of a further £50 million of support south of the border from the UK Government to help farmers hit by flooding and exceptional wet weather as part of their farming recovery fund was widely welcomed.

“What precisely will the Scottish Government do to support farmers in Scotland such as looking to replicate these UK Government sums?”

Mr Fairlie responded: “The Scottish Government has put a Capital Grants Fund of £1.8 million into play to help farmers in the current crisis and we are still waiting on applications to come in based on the fact we have had this wet weather.”

Mr Kerr later said: “The extreme weather has had a devastating impact on both cropping and grazing, as well as damaging property and equipment to farms across the North East.

“I asked the minister where the much-needed support was coming from, on behalf of farmers and the NFUS which has made similar calls.

“In his answer, Mr Fairlie didn’t seem to know about the support scheme in England – so I take that to mean nothing is coming, any time soon.

“Rather than waiting for ‘applications to come in’, the Scottish Government must actively release funding to farms across Scotland to alleviate the destruction which has been caused by the prolonged rainfall.”