Scottish farmers to get further £30m for environment schemes

More than 600 farm businesses in Scotland will share £30m of funding for environmental projects that reduce the impacts of climate change.

The funding is part of the latest round of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) 2021, run by the Scottish government.

Based on these figures, the average amount each successful recipient will receive through the scheme is £50,000.

See also: Landscape and Local Nature Recovery: What farmers need to know

The agri-environmental scheme is designed to promote low-carbon farming and environmental land management practices.

The area of land under conversion or maintenance support in Scotland is set to increase by 22% to 86,577ha from 2022 onwards as a result of the 2021 AECS application round.

Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon, for the Scottish government, said: “AECS has provided almost 3,000 applicants with around £244m since it launched.

This funding for the sector has helped us restore and enhance nature through increased biodiversity, improved soils and contributions to mitigating climate change, at the same time as providing high quality, locally produced food.”

Next round of funding

The scheme has been extended to run until 2024, with a new round of funding being released each year. Applications for the next round of support open on 24 January and are set to close on 29 April 2022.

It is open to farmers and landowners in Scotland who are registered with the Scottish government and have a business reference number. Applications are usually limited to one a year for each business.

Previous funding has been awarded for projects that include aspects such as improving public access, flood management, supporting organic farming, improving water quality and slurry storage.

More information on eligibility can be found on the Scottish government website.