Changes to SUSSS could be made permanent

The Scottish Government says it will consider making changes to the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS) on a permanent basis.

The comments come following a plea from the industry for changes to the sheep coupled support scheme, which were introduced on a temporary basis last year, to become permanent because they gave farmers and crofters more time to safely gather sheep on hills and crofts.

Last year, the Scottish Government introduced changes to the scheme as a result of the impact poor weather was having on crofters and hill farmers.

The application deadline was extended to November 30 from October 16, and the period in which producers needed to retain stock, known as the retention period, was changed to run from December 1 2017, until March 31 2018.

In response to the plea, a Scottish Government spokesman said: “The extension in the application window to November 30 was originally intended as a one-off event, in recognition of the exceptional weather conditions affecting the ability to gather flocks this year.

“However, the Scottish Government will be happy to consider the scope to adopt these changes on a more permanent basis.”

SUSSS, which is worth around £6 million, is designed to support active hill farmers and crofters through a payment for a number of ewe hoggs kept as breeding replacements for flocks.