Up to £1,000 for Scots farm business health check
© Tim Scrivener Farmers in Scotland can claim up to £1,000 of funding from the Scottish government to help them conduct business resilience planning as the Brexit deadline approaches.
The cash is being made available via the Farm Advisory Service and is available until 31 March 2020.
The review will assess profitability, cashflow and the health of the balance sheet, identify appropriate resilience measures and develop a practical plan to implement them.
See also: Borrowing update: Has Brexit hit lending to farmers?
The funding rules allow up to 100% of overall costs incurred to be covered and, unlike other funded advice, there is no requirement for a business to conduct an Integrated Land Management Plan first.
Farmers interested in participating can view a list of approved specialist advisers and apply online on the Farm Advisory Service website.
The cash offer comes as NFU Scotland steps up its warnings over the consequences of a no-deal Brexit for farming, after the UK government failed to increase tariff protection for farm goods.
NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick said: “Setting a low- or zero-tariff rate on the importation of key agricultural products, like cereals, eggs, pork, fruit and veg and some dairy produce, will place many of our farmers at a significant disadvantage and undermine any efforts to negotiate new trade arrangements.”