Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02727 by Jim Fairlie on 4 November 2025, when it will publish further details of the awards made under the Future Farming Investment Scheme.
I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-42039 and S6W-42047 on 1 December 2025.
Regarding the allocation of funding to island based businesses, priority status alone did not guarantee funding; investments also had to demonstrate strong alignment with scheme objectives and deliver measurable outcomes. Delivering on the scheme objectives was the most important element of scoring and this approach was designed with stakeholders, including the NFUS.
Many applicants from priority groups applied for standard items of agricultural equipment, mainly for general livestock management, which, while not deemed ineligible, when assessed against other capital investments did not demonstrate strong delivery against the scheme’s objectives. Examples included cattle clippers, sheep shearing machines, footbaths, water troughs, creep feeders, self-locking feed barriers, and feed storage bins.
Although these items are useful for routine livestock management, they were assessed as providing limited measurable benefit in terms of improving environmental performance, resource efficiency, or climate outcomes. For smaller businesses, these capital investments can represent meaningful improvements, however within a competitive assessment framework they did not score as highly as proposals that delivered more substantial benefits in line with the schemes purpose and objectives.
Many people will be disappointed if they were not successful, but there are many others who were and will share in £21 million that will make a real difference to their business. The following table provides a summary of items grant offers were issued for, demonstrating positive investment in the sector and supply chains to deliver on environmental performance, resource efficiency, and climate outcomes.
Category | Number of Investments Supported | Total Grant Value (£) |
Livestock Handling and Weighing Equipment | 915 | £ 5,694,830.39 |
Precision Farming Equipment | 284 | £ 2,530,230.36 |
Soil Health Equipment | 145 | £ 1,695,552.90 |
Slurry Handling and Spreading Equipment | 108 | £ 1,410,649.63 |
Water Efficiency Equipment | 177 | £ 1,477,182.74 |
Efficient Feeding of Livestock Equipment | 84 | £ 1,178,298.11 |
Livestock Comfort Equipment | 165 | £ 1,535,480.88 |
Sustainable Grassland Improvement Equipment | 189 | £ 1,293,011.92 |
Livestock Feeding and Feed Handling Equipment | 353 | £ 1,299,048.96 |
Biodiversity and Habitat Enhancement | 293 | £ 800,281.81 |
Livestock Health Monitoring Equipment | 76 | £ 589,051.32 |
Crop Management - Moisture and Temperature Monitoring | 114 | £ 590,782.22 |
Environmental Management - Livestock Grazing Control | 58 | £ 475,468.00 |
Grazing Management Equipment | 207 | £ 405,462.87 |
Livestock Improved Ventilation Equipment | 48 | £ 320,395.37 |
Livestock EID Equipment | 305 | £ 281,858.42 |
Efficient Dairy Farming Equipment | 19 | £ 153,504.50 |
Livestock Standard Management and Care Equipment | 113 | £ 127,337.91 |
Energy Efficiency Equipment - Grassland Management | 52 | £ 107,511.18 |
Livestock Management Remote Monitoring Equipment - Cameras | 56 | £ 61,162.45 |
Livestock Management Remote Monitoring Equipment - Drones | 23 | £ 58,651.68 |
Energy Efficiency Equipment - Lighting | 28 | £ 33,790.67 |
Efficient Livestock Health Treatment Equipment | 32 | £ 26,403.00 |
Environment Monitoring Equipment | 9 | £ 16,294.98 |
Livestock Improved Welfare Equipment | 28 | £ 12,564.20 |
Wildlife Monitoring Equipment | 3 | £ 1,800.00 |
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