Chamber and committees

Following our 2023 consultation Ending the Sale of Peat in Scotland, we organised a series of workshops and have conducted regular engagement and site visits with industry stakeholders to gather views. This will inform the scope and timing of a ban on the sale of peat for horticulture and ensure that it is right for Scotland.

We have also undertaken or commissioned research to address gaps in the evidence needed to support development of our approach, including projects which assess peat alternatives, undertake trials for commercial production and assess the readiness of industry for transition.

The lack of clarity around UK Government's revision of timescales for regulating peat sales, alongside uncertainty regarding legislative timescales across UK and devolved governments, directly impacts Scottish Government's ability to apply effective legislation for this devolved issue, given constraints of the UKIMA. Through sustained and determined engagement with UK Government and devolved governments, we are working to overcome barriers and ensure robust legislation to protect peatlands.

The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to supporting small producers and empowering them to play a key role in making our Vision for Agriculture a reality. This year, up to £1 million is being invested through the Small Producer Pilot Fund to continue to support innovation, resilience, and growth across the sector.

Those individuals or groups with a holding no larger than 30 hectares (excluding common grazing), are eligible, and as we move forward with the Pilot Fund, we will further assess additional needs for local communities and this sector, and how we can support them.

The member may be aware that the First Minister visited Orkney Auction Mart in February 2025, and there he re-affirmed Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting small producers and strengthening Scotland’s food supply chain.

As an example of this support, last year nearly £300,000 in grants were awarded to several private kill abattoirs. This funding supported a wide range of vital activity – from training private kill coordinators and upskilling butchers, to improving customer engagement and developing strong business plans. These facilities are essential to a thriving food supply chain, offering accessible, high-quality services that help ensure long-term viability for small producers.

Further targeted support for this sector will be detailed in the upcoming Rural Support Plan.

The Scottish Government provides various forms of support to Scotland’s abattoirs, including those in remote and island areas.

We remain committed to supporting small producers, and empowering them to help deliver our Vision for Agriculture. One way we are realising this is by supporting the ecosystem that our Small Producers rely upon, and so last year, through the Small Producers Pilot Fund, we provided over £300,000 in Private Kill Abattoir grant funding. This support was directed to organisations including Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), SAOS, Munro’s of Dingwall, and facilities in Shetland, Wishaw, Mull, Barra, and Orkney.

This year, we’re going further – we are delivering up to £1 million in resource funding to support a range of targeted actions. This includes investment in the Small Producer Practical Training Fund, which is designed to help small producers build resilient, sustainable businesses for the future. Applications for the 2025–26 financial year have already been received from private kill abattoirs, in Shetland, Shotts, Mull, Wishaw, and Stornoway.

Officials have also had some initial engagement with those organising the Boreray sheep slaughter facility on the Orkney Islands - the ‘Tiny Trailer Abattoir’ - and we expect further engagement with them, including their application in due course. I am also aware that Food Standards Scotland have been working with them on the establishment of the abattoir, which would enable processing specifically of Boreray and North Ronaldsay sheep.

Abattoirs across Scotland have also benefited from a Ministerial discount scheme that has been applied by Scottish Ministers for Official Veterinarian charges since 2015, amounting to £1.07 million. This was supplemented in 2024/25 with an additional £500,000, helping to further reduce costs for abattoirs.

In addition, the Scottish Government commissioned a report, published in March 2020, entitled ‘Assessing the Viability and Sustainability of Mobile Abattoirs in Scotland.’ The research provides details of what would be required to operate mobile abattoirs in Scotland, including the regulatory framework, and offers a cost-benefit analysis of possible operational models. Whilst the report found support for fixed or mobile abattoirs, there was some concern amongst existing island abattoirs that support for MSUs could result in the diversion of animals and income streams that could otherwise be channelled to their businesses.

The Scottish Government have required the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to undertake visits to slaughter facilities since 2022 to monitor operations and ensure welfare of salmon at time of killing. The Scottish Government’s guidance on Welfare at the Time of Killing in Salmon Farming is based on the recommendations made by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee and developed in partnership with the Scottish farmed salmon industry, APHA, and animal welfare organisations. Any suspected incidences of poor welfare would be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency which would investigate and take action if required.

We are making positive progress towards a reformed National Performance Framework (NPF), and we intend to launch a reformed framework in the new parliamentary session following the 2026 Scottish Election.

We are currently engaging with a range of experts and stakeholders on the detail of a reformed NPF, and as such, no decisions have been made on future outcomes or indicators. We intend to provide a written update on our progress to relevant parliamentary committees after the summer recess. Additionally, officials are scheduled to meet with several MSPs from across the Chamber in September to discuss NPF reform.

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out actions to support the fishing fleet to modernise, and for appropriate use to be made of new and additional technology, including remote electronic monitoring (REM). The Scottish Government has already delivered on our commitment to introduce REM requirements for pelagic and scallop vessels, with legislation being passed in June 2024. The legislation can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2024/165/contents/made

Pelagic vessels will be able to undertake REM system test trips from 7 September 2025 in advance of the pelagic REM measures becoming mandatory from 7 March 2026. A number of vessels have already started installing REM equipment and we expect this number to increase as the March 2026 date draws closer. The Scottish Government has published both REM technical specifications and guidance for the pelagic industry and continues to engage extensively with stakeholders to support vessels as they prepare for REM.

Further rollout of remote electronic monitoring to other fleets is under review and options will be developed alongside our Future Catching Policy.

A significant amount of work on the 21 Scottish-led Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) has been completed. This work is complex and requires further stakeholder engagement and consultation. The Marine Directorate has undertaken pre-consultation with stakeholders which will inform the first formal consultation planned for autumn 2025. Discussions with stakeholders were held last year and, more recently, in February, May and June, we held workshops on demersal and Nephrops FMPs with plans for further workshops on pelagic FMPs in the coming months. The fisheries policy authorities intend to deliver the FMPs according to the timescales set out in Annex A of the Joint Fisheries Statement by the end of 2026.

For offshore Marine Protected Areas, the Scottish Government has completed its public consultation on proposed fisheries management measures and published the consultation analysis. The Scottish Government expects to announce the final measures in autumn 2025, with implementation to follow within the same calendar year. For inshore Marine Protected Areas, the Scottish Government is completing the necessary statutory assessments and aims to consult on proposed measures in the coming months

Seafood Scotland plays a pivotal part in the portrait of Scottish success. It offers invaluable support to businesses across the entire seafood supply chain - from wild caught fisheries to aquaculture producers, processors to retailers. It is also vital in supporting and promoting Scotland's world-class seafood industry. Of course, sustainability is key, and a healthy marine environment is the foundation upon which this prosperity is built.

Seafood Scotland is at the forefront of Sustainability in Scotland, through various schemes, projects and attending major industry trade shows. Just last year Seafood Scotland partnered with the Global Seafood Alliance to host the Responsible Seafood Summit, and this year launched the Scottish Ocean Cluster, representing a bold new approach to maximising the value and sustainability of our seafood industry. They also provide crucial outreach, such as the education and training for chefs globally to foster a deeper appreciation for the quality and sustainability of Scotland's seafood, and in Scotland they have revived their impactful Seafood in Schools program.

Scottish Government funding investment through Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) is a signal of the importance we place in their role delivering for industry, supporting a wide range of initiatives that drive innovation, enhance sustainability, and build greater prosperity in our marine industries. The MFS application contains Key Performance Indicators and Seafood Scotland are required to submit reports commenting on progress towards & achievement of these.

Currently, grants are available to bring about distinct and durable improvement in the quality of permanent pasture. Soil analysis is also eligible for grant aid as part of an acceptable scheme.

Throughout 2024, officials worked with stakeholders on the CAGS Stakeholder Group to discuss changes to the operation of the scheme. These changes, implemented in 2025, included the introduction of standard costs for the likes of fencing and agricultural buildings. The next stage will focus on the type of projects supported, to ensure the CAGS aligns with the future support framework and the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture.

We continue to provide Scotland’s farmers, crofters and land managers with the most generous package of direct support in the UK, investing over £660 million in support to agriculture. Support schemes such as the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme and the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme all help to support our sheep producers.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 provides the powers to create a new future payment framework and this approach provides future flexibility to respond to geopolitical, economic, climate and nature challenges which will enable rural communities to thrive. The purposes for which support can be provided are specified within Schedule 1 of the Act, which includes wool, and is aimed at providing the flexibility to support all our producers.