MSP SEEKS CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR AGRI ENVIRONMENT SCHEMES

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 14th Aug 2007

South of Scotland MSP Jim Hume has today asked the Scottish Executive for assurances that Rural Stewardship Schemes (RSS) due to end this summer will be supplemented by ‘stop gap’, contingency payments until the new round of schemes are confirmed in the Scottish Rural Development Plan later in the year.

Jim Hume said:-

“Agreements through the Rural Stewardship Scheme are a vital tool in helping to secure a sustainable farming sector which of course ensures Scotland’s wildlife is not only protected, but also nurtured and enhanced for future generations.

“The difficulty is that many of these schemes are coming to an end this summer which effectively means that farmers and land managers will be unable to continue to finance their long term conservation plans from their own resources because as yet the new Rural Development Programme - which will detail the next round of schemes - has yet to be finalised.

“Farmers and land manager may have to resort to using their RSS land for commercial farming purposes. For many, it will be economically unviable to cover the shortfall in not having access to this agri environment funding.

“This would undoubtedly be disastrous for the years of hard work already put in to enhancing our wildlife.

The MSP continued:-

“I’ve asked the Scottish Executive to ensure that payments from these agreements to farmers and land managers are temporarily replaced until such time as the new Scottish Rural Development Programme is finished which will detail the new schemes.

“The new Executive has said that it is committed to a greener Scotland and therefore ensuring the gap is bridged between now and the announcement of the new schemes would seem to be a prime example of such a commitment, as well as an entirely practical and appropriate way to ensure the years of good work already done to protect Scotland’s biodiversity are not put in jeopardy.”