Last year (2023), saw the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) award more than £7 million to 517 rural businesses in Scotland.
Overall, £27 million will be paid over the lifetime of the contracts to applicants, with the purpose of helping to support land management activities that will benefit nature and mitigate against climate change.
Farmers can now apply for the 2024/25 AECS funding round, with an expanded range of options to support biodiversity and climate friendly farming activities and land management practices.
Slurry storage and irrigation lagoons will be funded more than £4 million to improve water quality in rural areas of Scotland, of which will be underpinned by the Agricultural Transformation Fund (ATF).
Farmers and land managers can now apply for larger funding grants, with an additional uplift available to those based in island communities.
This will be the final year that support will be available for slurry storage.
AECS
The AECS was launched in 2015 with the intent of helping to promote land management practices which protect Scotland’s natural heritage, as well as improving public access and reserving historic sites.
Secretary of Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon, said: “AECS remains a key part of support to farmers, crofters, and land managers in delivering nature restoration, and addressing the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
“This year, all eligible applications to AECS were approved which is a record approval rate. This shows that despite significant financial pressures, farmers and land managers still recognise the very real need to mitigate against both nature loss and climate change.
“I would strongly encourage farmers and crofters to apply for the expanded range of options that the scheme now supports.
“This approach will give farmers and land managers greater flexibility when it comes to helping improve our landscape to mitigate against nature loss.”
Chief executive of NatuScot, Francesca Osowska, said: “Scotland’s farmers and crofters play a vital role in tackling the nature-climate crisis.
“By successfully using their knowledge and skills to farm in a nature-friendly way, they ensure that their businesses are sustainable for the future, both environmentally and economically.
“AECS funding is an important investment in sustainable farming in Scotland, with about 20% of our land being managed for nature and climate benefits under the scheme.”
