Scottish farmers and crofters will start to receive payments from the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) later this week.
Worth £40 million, the scheme helps underpin Scotland’s iconic beef sector by supporting farmers breeding beef calves from suckler cows.
From that pot, £34 million is for eligible mainland calves and £6 million for Island calf claims. Payments will begin on Thursday (28 March).
NFU Scotland said it welcomed the 'timely and prompt' payments of the SSBSS this year.
However, the union called on the Scottish government to share details on new scheme rules with the industry 'at the earliest opportunity'.
For the 2023 scheme year, there was a fall in the total number of mainland and island businesses making a claim, down from 6,499 to 6,423.
There was also a 4% decrease in the total number of beef calves claimed, which was down from 379,740 to 366,371.
With fewer animals claimed, that means a small increase in the payments per head, with mainland beef calves receiving £105.24 and Island calves receiving £151.24 per head.
NFU Scotland’s vice president, Andrew Connon said: "It is concerning to see a 4% fall in animals claimed, which signifies that our sector still faces ongoing uncertainty and vulnerability despite the robust prices for store and prime cattle being seen just now.
"It is clear that coupled support schemes such as SSBSS, which reward active farming and support our suckler beef herd, remain an anchor for farmers and crofters in these turbulent times.
“That is why we have welcomed the Scottish government’s confirmation that SSBSS, a targeted support scheme, is to remain a key element of Scotland’s future agricultural support package from 2025 onwards.
"We look forward to government bringing forward details on the new conditionality rules that will be attached to the scheme at the earliest opportunity as spring calving is already in full swing across Scotland."
