Ewing unveils £250,000 fund to help weather-hit farmers

SUPPORT: Cost of disposing of dead livestock among things covered

Financial support to help farmers with the cost of disposing of dead cattle and sheep after the recent severe weather has been announced by the Scottish Government.

The £250,000 fund, which will be managed by the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCO), was announced last night by Rural Secretary Fergus Ewing.

It includes action to address feed and fodder shortages and also provides other practical and emotional support to farmers and their families.

Mr Ewing said he had seen at firsthand the massive impact of the prolonged wet and severe weather which resulted in higher numbers of dead animals and acute shortages in fodder across the country.

He added: “We know there are real pressures on feed and fodder currently and that winter and spring crop sowing has been compromised, so there are likely to be further problems later this autumn.

“We need to identify longer-term solutions to address these, so I plan to convene a meeting of commercial feed companies and cooperatives to explore what more can be done to reduce shortages, increase resilience and create collaborative solutions.”

The minister said he recognised the toll the harsh weather and long working hours could take on people’s well-being.

He said: “I am therefore providing RSABI with additional funding to help them provide more vital practical and emotional support to farmers and their families.”

Mr Ewing’s action came hours after the Scottish Conservatives called on government to provide extra financial support to the industry.

Shadow rural affairs secretary Peter Chapman said: “It’s not just the beast from the east that’s hurt farmers – the weather across the whole year has been very poor.

Picture: Darrell Benns. Sheep trying to graze in a snow-covered field near Stonehaven.