Call for clarity on agricultural funding

A farmer moving sheep between fields at Bannamin beach. Photo: Joe Leask.

A call for clarity has been made over the future funding mechanism for agricultural across the UK.

Westminster has confirmed that the initial Scottish budget for the post-EU agricultural scheme would be £595 million.

But it has not confirmed how future budgets will be determined.

Isles MP Alistair Carmichael said the £595 million figure was “not going to last forever”.

“By what means will future budgets be fixed? What mechanisms will be used to resolve any disputes? What will happen if the divergent agricultural policies in any part of the United Kingdom, including England, then have a distorting effect on the UK’s internal market?”

Environment secretary George Eustice said the government was offering fairness.

“The government set out in our manifesto that we will keep the budget for each part of the UK the same in cash terms for every year of this Parliament, and that is what we intend to do.”