Meeting to aid crofters with Whole Farm Plan
Shetland Times
Crofters and farmers are being invited to attend meetings to learn more about how they can meet the Scottish government’s new Whole Farm Plan requirements for 2025.
As part of the project, SAC Lerwick will deliver a meeting in Shetland on Tuesday 24th September at 6pm, at the UHI Scalloway Fisheries College Auditorium.
The future of agricultural support is changing for businesses of all sizes.
From 2025, the government’s new Whole Farm Plan will be gradually phased in for all businesses who submit a Single Application Form, replacing the current Common Agricultural Policy.
While crofters and farmers in Shetland will still be eligible for the same schemes as they were last year, they will have to undertake at least two baseline plans, or audits, by 15th May next year.
These new measures were outlined in a letter sent out to all businesses in July by the Rural Payments and Services Division.
The Whole Farm Plan is made up of five plans and audits in total:
- Animal Health and Welfare Plan
- Biodiversity Audit
- Carbon Audit
- Integrated Pest Management Plan
- Soil Analysis
Businesses are free to choose which two of the plans and audits to complete for their 2025 SAF and may already have some of them in place through their usual business practice.
However, they will be required to progressively phase in all the parts of the plan that are relevant to their business by 2028.
Osla Jamwal Fraser of SAC Lerwick said: “The aim of these meetings is to support crofters and farmers in this period of change, helping them to get ready for the phased introduction of the government’s new support scheme.
“The event will provide information to give people a fuller understanding of what is required for each of the five elements, which parts they may already have in place and how and where to access support with the parts they don’t.
“We’ll provide plenty of time for folk to ask questions and get to grips with it all. We have been out and about at the shows over the summer months and we are very much aware that for many this all seems pretty overwhelming at first glance. We really hope folk will come along and get a clearer idea of what they are being asked to do and come away in a more positive frame of mind knowing how to tackle it for their own business scenario.”
The meeting will be held at the UHI Scalloway Fisheries College at 6 pm on the 24th September.
