Funds to help combat climate change

The Scottish Government has awarded £34 million to farmers and crofters to help them protect the environment and mitigate the impact of climate change.

The funding, the latest award through the AgriEnvironment Climate Scheme (AECS), has been granted to 472 farm businesses across Scotland.

However, NFU Scotland’s environmental regulations policy manager, Jenny Brunton, said 2019 AECS contracts were not yet in place, and successful applicants were waiting on an “authority to start work” letter.

“The delay in commencement of works, in conjunction with the ongoing period of challenging weather, must be taken into consideration should applicants be unable to meet prescriptive calendar dates or requests for variations to their contracts,” she said.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said the scheme was a successful way to support farmers, crofters and land managers to promote environmentally-friendly agricultural practices.