'Rural Scotland is deserting the SNP': Scottish farm projects sees funding slashed

Millions of pounds are being slashed from Scottish farm projects aimed at improving rural communities, new figures show.

Scottish Government plans to cut support for less favourable areas by £40m and remove £42m from climate change schemes, a parliamentary statement has revealed.

The information has been revealed after a parliamentary question by Conservative MSP Peter Chapman to Rural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing.

Mr Chapman said rural Scotland is "deserting" the SNP.

Revisions to the Scottish Rural Development Programme, which will run until 2020, reveals that funding for the less favoured area support scheme will be reduced from £459m to £419m.

The agri-environment climate scheme will be slashed from £350m to £308m.

'Absolutely vital'

Mr Chapman, the Conservative party's rural affairs spokesman, said: "Money for farms in less favourable areas is absolutely vital.

"These are the businesses who need the investment most and now it's being reduced significantly by an SNP government which has turned its back on rural Scotland.

"When you consider the shambles of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) payments fiasco, it paints a grim picture for farmers across the country.

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"This announcement effectively removes tens of millions of pounds from a sector that simply can't afford it.

"It's no wonder rural Scotland is deserting this nationalist government which is obsessed with central belt issues."