Scottish hill farmers and crofters are being reminded that the upland sheep support scheme - worth £6 million - is now open for applications.
The Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS) is an annual fund, first launched in 2016, which supports sheep production in Scotland’s hills and uplands.
Applications for the 2024 round opened on 1 September and will close at midnight on 30 November.
Payment rates on eligible ewe hoggs were £61.38 in 2023 and £61.25 in 2022 with around 1,150 farming and crofting businesses submitting applications annually.
The scheme gives direct support to help maintain sheep flocks in farm businesses reliant on poorer quality rough grazing found in Scotland.
It is seen as a vital source of support for more than a thousand hill sheep farmers and crofters in Scotland.
The Scottish government has committed to SUSSS until at least 2026 and is engaging with the industry on the scheme’s future beyond that date.
NFU Scotland’s Less Favoured Areas Committee chair, Peter Kennedy, said the union wanted to see this level of support for the sheep sector continue into the future.
“It is well recognised that the current SUSSS scheme has real merit, and we welcome Scottish government commitment to the scheme until at least 2026," he said.
“The role of the scheme must be considered in conjunction with the expected changes to the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme, which delivers an additional £60m per year into our disadvantaged areas.
“With 90 percent of Scotland’s sheep found on LFA holdings, SUSSS and LFASS are mutually inclusive."
Payments to hill farmers and crofters under the 2023 SUSSS, worth £6.6 million, entered farmers' bank accounts earlier this summer.
Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said the Scottish government would 'continue to do all we can' to provide the backing needed to protect hill farmers and crofters.
He said: “We are fortunate to have an incredible sheep farming sector that is globally renowned, with thousands of jobs dependant on well raised flocks, efficient distribution and enormous retail potential at home and abroad."
