Chamber and committees

Yes. I will have no problem writing to the committee with a summary of the meeting.

I will ask somebody else to answer that one.

One thing frustrated me when we started talking about the calf scheme—I think that I reiterated this point when I was last here. When I was farming, if I got a letter from the NFUS, the National Sheep Association or an organisation like that, I put it on the pile to read on a wet day. However, if I got a letter from the Scottish Government, with a Scottish Government heading, I read it that day, because I knew that the Government was trying to tell me something. If we are talking about what we are learning, I insisted that, as a result of that learning, such letters get sent out to inform people that changes are coming. We tell people to please pay attention to the changes and to get help and support through local offices and roadshows in order to find out what is coming. I want to ensure that people have the right information in front of them and are able to get involved in the schemes that we are trying to deliver.

Okay. I will take your point on board.

We would be looking for that to be the case by 2028.

No specific risk assessment has been carried out in relation to the issue that you asked me about. However, I reiterate that the baselining exercise represents an opportunity for farmers to make better decisions about the profitability of their farms. If people are opting out, I would like to know why. As I said, I do not know the background to the letter that you read out. If that is happening, please let me know and we will have a look at that. As I have stated many times, the purpose is to get the industry up to speed so that it continues to have public support and a reputation as a global leader.

I do not accept that there is no vision, Ms Grant. I am sorry—I am not quite sure how we address each other in these formal sessions. I do not accept that there is no vision; there is an absolute vision. The vision from day 1 was to put Scotland at the forefront of developing agricultural policy that allowed us to deliver food production but that made sure that we were world leaders in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The vision is there; how we get it and how we build consensus with the industry, the Parliament and, indeed, the public—who ultimately pay for all of this—is a journey worth going on, and I think that it is the one that we have been on.

As I have said, I understand the frustrations about it all not being in place, with people asking, “Well, what do we do now?” However, we could not answer that without consulting with the industry, getting all the views and changing things. We have had to change things as we have gone along. It is all about working together and making sure that we get a policy that is fit for purpose and fulfils the policy objectives but that does not cut off the farming community from the support that it needs.

There has been extensive engagement. We have already talked about ARIOB. Although it is not set in stone in ARIOB, we have a work plan and we will have another meeting on 28 June, when we will come together to discuss all those things.

Engagement is continuous. As I said, I have invited Donna Smith to come and speak to me. I met the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association two or three weeks ago. A round table is lined up for me and the cabinet secretary to meet the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs. We are in regular dialogue with NFU Scotland. We are in contact with the food and agriculture stakeholders task force, which covers myriad people who are involved in the agricultural sector.

The co-design has been extensive. It might not be up in everybody’s face, but it has been extensive. I have engaged directly with the Scottish Beef Association and the National Sheep Association. Yesterday, I attended the red meat resilience group meeting, which was organised by Quality Meat Scotland. Extensive conversations are taking place regularly.

Every time I meet someone, there is an official with me who is taking notes and feeding that into the conversation that we are having to allow us to design the programme that we are trying to deliver.

Thank you for making time to consider these draft regulations today. The regulations were laid using the powers that are conferred by the Agriculture (Retained EU Law and Data) (Scotland) Act 2020, which enable us to improve the operation of the assimilated EU law that applies to our common agricultural policy legacy schemes. They will do so by introducing the foundations of the whole-farm plan as a condition of the basic payment scheme. The whole-farm plan approach was co-developed with the industry and will support our farmers and crofters to take a holistic view of their farm or croft so that they will be clear about what they are doing and the impacts of that. They will have the information that they need to be more productive and profitable while reducing the impacts on climate and nature.

In 2025, businesses are being asked to undertake two plans and audits from a list comprising an animal health and welfare plan, a habitats report, a carbon report an integrated pest management plan, and a soil report. They are free to make their selection based on their business practices. I intend that, over time, businesses will undertake all the plans that are relevant to their activities, and I will work with them to that end.

The whole-farm plan provisions contribute towards the Scottish Government’s green conditionality objective for 2025 for essential conditions to ensure climate, biodiversity and efficiency conditions for payments, as set out in the vision for agriculture.

The regulations have been drafted to come into force on 5 March 2025, so that farmers and crofters can set out in a single application form which two plans they will prepare for this year. The single application form window opens on 15 March and is expected to close on 15 May.

This marks a significant point in our progress towards becoming a world leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Failing to bring the regulations into force would undermine our progress and the efforts and work of many of our farmers and crofters who are already committed to making those improvements.

I am happy to take any questions that the committee might have.

Yes, support is in place. As people move into the system, they will develop what is suitable for their farms.