Are the next generation locked out of a career in farming?

Does the Scottish Government genuinely want to support Scotland’s red meat sector? Ministers continue to insist they are resisting the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations to reduce cattle and sheep numbers, yet their approach to the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) tells a very different story.

The Government’s handling of LFASS is fundamentally at odds with its stated commitment to livestock farming in Scotland’s upland and marginal areas. As the farming population continues to age, many are no longer physically able to undertake demanding tasks such as calving cows in the middle of the night. If Scotland is serious about safeguarding its food security and rural economy, it must encourage more young people into the industry, bringing with them the energy, commitment and skills needed to sustain the sector.

Instead, the current LFASS arrangements place new entrants at a significant disadvantage. The scheme offers little meaningful support to those seeking to establish a breeding flock or herd. Even when young farmers do get started, they often lack the financial resources to compete at livestock markets against long-established businesses with far greater capital. It is simply not a level playing field.

Many older farmers who have reduced their livestock numbers but continue to receive substantial LFASS payments privately acknowledge that the system is no longer equitable. They are doing nothing wrong by accepting payments to which they are entitled under the current rules. The fault lies with a scheme which, like several other Scottish Government and NatureScot policies, no longer reflects the realities of modern farming.

It is also important to recognise that while much of Scotland’s farmland is managed by larger agricultural businesses, many farming enterprises are smaller family-run operations. Future support should reward active food production, productivity and the delivery of quality livestock that meets market demand, rather than relying on outdated historical entitlements.

Public funding should encourage efficiency, innovation and investment across the sector. Productive farms should have the confidence to expand, while smaller family farms producing quality livestock should benefit from strong market demand and fair returns. The objective should be a support system that rewards successful production rather than simply maintaining the status quo.

To make matters worse, LFASS payments are still calculated using breeding stock data from 2009—figures that are now 17 years out of date. Farmers who have invested heavily in expanding their breeding flocks or herds since then continue to receive support based on historical livestock numbers rather than their current contribution to food production. That is neither fair nor economically sensible.

The experience in England should also serve as a warning. Increasingly complex agricultural support arrangements have led many producers to scale back production or reconsider future investment. When domestic production falls, supply tightens, food prices rise and consumers ultimately pay more at the checkout. Agricultural policy should increase food production, not discourage it.

Where is the fairness? The Scottish Government frequently speaks of equality, inclusion and opportunity, yet it continues to administer an outdated support scheme that delivers the opposite.

If the Scottish Government is serious about supporting Scotland’s livestock sector, it must reform LFASS so that support reflects today’s farming realities, rewards active production, and gives the next generation a genuine opportunity to build a future in agriculture. Without that change, ministerial promises to support Scottish farming will continue to ring hollow.