Crofting

Farmer-led groups are recommending the Whole Farm Plan to support farmers and crofters in taking a holistic view of their businesses.

By establishing their current performance and activities, farmers and crofters can identify opportunities for improvement and work towards greater productivity and profitability, positioning their business to contribute to meeting Scotland’s climate and nature targets.

Your farm's future: Trees an option and opportunity? Why and how they can benefit your business

Join Scottish Forestry for an insightful and interactive evening exploring how integrating trees into your farming practices can deliver significant benefits both now and in the future.

You'll hear from Davy McCracken (SRUC) who'll share his wealth of knowledge and practical experience on the vital role trees play in the sustainability and resilience of farms now and into the future.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has commented on publication of the land-based learning review Implementation Plan setting out how Scottish Government will respond to the 22 recommendations in the Review.

Following an increase in the number of detections of avian influenza (bird flu) in wild birds and other captive birds, the Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer from Scotland and Chief Veterinary Officer from England have declared a national Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry and other captive birds.

Bluetongue is a notifiable insect-borne viral disease that affects sheep, cattle, other ruminants such as goats, and camelids such as llamas.

It cannot be spread directly between animals and relies on the midge as a vector for transmission, and although it does not affect people or food safety, outbreaks can result in prolonged animal movement and trade restrictions.

Imports of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany have been banned to protect farmers, their livelihoods and food security following the discovery of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in water buffalo in Brandenburg.

The risk level of FMD to the UK has been increased to medium.

FMD does not pose a risk to human health but is a highly contagious virus of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals.

Planning for Change: Making the most of Whole Farm Plans

From 15 May 2025, in order to receive Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments, every farmer and crofter in Scotland will have to demonstrate that they have started to baseline land and livestock management practices, identified opportunities for improvement and are working towards being more sustainable, efficient and resilient.

Crofting for the Future

This course is suitable for both new entrant AND experienced crofters.

Have you been asking yourself:-

Updated guidance about Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has been published by Scottish Government to support farmers and crofters identify the illness in livestock.

(SBV) is a virus first identified in Europe in 2011. It was first detected in the UK in 2012, and then in 2016-2017 and from 2021 onwards. 

A major campaign to encourage farmers and others in Scottish agriculture to wear a helmet every time they get on a quad bike has been launched by RSABI, in partnership with The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies).

The six-month “Use Your Head. Use Your Helmet” campaign, kicks off this month with the launch of a video featuring farmer Callum Lindsay who sustained major head injuries when he had an accident on his quad in October 2023.

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