Scottish farming may need to adopt some 'radical' approaches to maintain productivity growth and enhance resilience, according to a report.
A range of interventions could be explored to support growth in productivity, which between 2000 and 2015 experienced an annual average growth rate of 1.5%.
This was above the UK average of 1 percent, but behind the likes of France (2.4 percent) and Denmark (2 percent).
The report, by Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), identified interventions such as 'radical' approaches around rethinking the purpose and targeting of support funding.
It also looked at creating a learner fund for each farmer to identify their own training needs, and up-scaling the current monitor and demonstration farm network.
Greater integration and support for commercial engagement between policy and industry is another approach considered.
Project lead Andrew Barnes, of SRUC said: “I have been studying Scottish rural productivity for over 20 years and never have I seen such pressure from the potential shocks that the current external factors may have on the structure and sustainability of the industry."
The report noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the significant external pressures the industry is facing in the build-up to Brexit.
“This report sets out some blue sky thinking towards what could work in Scotland and, while some a quite radical, I would argue now is the time to follow through on how we support this and the next farming generation going forward," Mr Barnes said.
“At one point, a number of things once considered radical are now very much mainstream, including using renewables, the smoking ban and electronic sheep tagging. Today’s radical is tomorrow’s norm.”
