New beef scheme

New beef scheme is better for crofters 5/8/11

A new Scottish Beef initiative which is replacing the present calf scheme will increase payments to crofters with less than 40 calves.

Under the revised scheme a crofter with 10 calves should see payment increase by 25%.

A crofter with 20 calves will see payment increase by 11% while 30 calves will see payment increase by 4%.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead announced the changes this week.

MSP Alasdair Allan said: “Although three-quarters of Scotland’s breeding cows are in ‘severely disadvantaged’ parts of Scotland, the bulk of the money paid out under the old Scottish Beef Calf Scheme currently goes to much more fertile parts of Scotland.

“I welcome Richard Lochhead’s efforts to rebalance this situation.

“Crofters benefit from only a tiny share of Scotland’s agricultural subsidies and I hope that these changes can provide a small, but significant, move towards shifting the balance.”

Eleanor Arthur of the Scottish Crofting Federation said: “This is very good news for crofters with cattle and it is something we have campaigned for over many years.

“SCF was successful in securing the original Beef Calf Scheme in 2004 which has helped to retain cattle in some of our most remote and fragile areas.

“The new scheme acknowledges that success and recognises the social, economic and environmental benefits delivered by small herds of beef cattle in the hills and islands.”