More than £100m of public money spent on Scottish food producers in one year

More than £100 million of public money has been used to support food producers in Scotland over the last year.

The Scottish Government and EU funding has been used for promoting the industry, infrastructure and providing farm visits for children.

But fears have been raised about future support for the sector, as the UK prepares to leave the European Union, and that it will have to “adapt”.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “In the last year alone, we have awarded more than £100 million of support for our food producers, above and beyond that already given out through vital EU CAP income support funding streams.

“This money has seen school children visit farms to learn about the farm-to-fork journey, supported new infrastructure from Orkney to Dumfries, promoted Scottish produce at home and abroad, and helped companies offer apprenticeship programmes to enable the next generation of food producers to learn the trade.

“This support is enabled by our continued membership of the EU, which the UK Government’s current approach to Brexit is putting at risk.

“Farmers, crofters and food producers have a central role to play in producing the food we consume, but also in protecting the environment and promoting a healthy, balanced diet.

“But this support also means we need to adapt to take a more resilient and self-sufficient approach to farming, that encourages more people to run more profitable and diverse businesses, that promotes a more integrated, sustainable land use.

“So in future we need to support change in practice and culture, so that future generations can continue to live and work the land.”