Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead and Minister for Environment Michael Russell have met with rural stakeholders to discuss Scotland’s £1.5bn Rural Development Programme.
Decisions have to be made soon relating to spending for the draft Rural Development Programme over the next seven years, which must be submitted to Brussels shortly for approval.
Lochhead said: "The draft programme prepared by officials, following extensive consultation, was waiting for me on my desk when I was appointed last week. I was keen to bring together all the key interests at the earliest opportunity to discuss these vitally important issues."
He said that this would be a hallmark of the new approach the new Government would be taking.
"It has been very useful to be able to listen to all the views expressed... I was able to give detailed information - which was not made available before - to help inform the discussion of the draft programme.
"We will now give detailed consideration to the options. This is still a work in progress and subject to further refinement and change as the draft Rural Development Programme is finalised.
"Investment of this scale requires input from all interests in rural Scotland to prepare the industry for a sustainable future."
NFUS president Jim McLaren said: "By bringing in the main players in rural Scotland so early after his appointment, Mr Lochhead has emphasised the importance of getting industry input and consensus for Scotland’s Rural Development Plan. That is extremely important, particularly on such a significant issue as rural development.
"Clearly, farmers across Scotland are anxious to hear about the content of the new Plan and the funding of it, particularly the extent to which voluntary modulation will be used. The announcement on all this, the first major decision for the Cabinet Secretary, will send an important signal to the industry on how this new administration plans to take agriculture and rural Scotland forward.
"Clearly, in our view, if Scotland is to achieve its rural development potential, profitable farms are going to be the key delivery vehicle. Therefore, we need a programme which supports farm business development, which itself safeguards ongoing environment work."
NFUS chief executive Andy Robertson, who attended the meeting on behalf of NFUS, said that he stressed that the Executive must work closely with farmers and other stakeholders to identify the priorities under rural development. "Once they are identified and agreed, and not before, the funding decisions can be taken.
"We have now been shown some provisional financial figures on the total cost of the programme, for the first time in these discussions. However, we need to have a clearer idea of the assumptions behind the figures before we can make any judgement on spending priorities and how this will all be funded.
"We were re-assured by the Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Environment that the figures presented have been put together by officials and no decisions have been taken on funding and the rate of voluntary modulation."
The potential investment of more than £1.5 billion over seven years would come from the Scottish Government, the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and national modulation of the Single Farm Payment.
Investment is directed to support key themes: improved farming and forestry viability, environmental benefits - such as tackling climate change, enhanced landscape and biodiversity, and improved water quality - and thriving rural communities.
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