Agribusiness News September 2024 – Policy Brief

Scottish Kept Bird Register

While poultry keepers with 50 or more birds will be familiar with the legal requirement to register their premises on the GB Poultry Register; from the 1^st of September 2024, all Scottish bird keepers, large or small, are required to register their bird location on the New Scottish Kept Bird Register by 1 December 2024. The new ruling applies to domesticated bird species including hens, ducks, geese, quails.

With the exception of birds which have no access to the open air for example – parrots, budgies, finches etc., all bird keepers, even those with a single bird must register the location of where they are kept.   This includes any random hens that dot about the croft or farm steading.

Keepers can register their bird or birds location by telephone or online.  From 1 September, keepers will find a link to register on the Scottish Government website https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu/pages/register-your-birds/

Once registered, keepers can access their information online at any time.  The information registered must be updated annually.

Registered keepers will be sent  biosecurity information to help protect their birds from disease, along with disease control information in case they are affected by a disease control zone.

Scottish Suckler Beef Scheme 2025

Following the announcement that from 2025 for a calf to be eligible for payment under the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme, with the exception of maiden dams, the mother’s calving interval needs to be 410 days or less; the Scottish Government have published an online document entitled ‘Frequently asked questions to help you prepare for change’.

The answers to ‘FAQs covers:

• Business eligibility for the Scheme
• How calf eligibility will be calculated (All calf births must be registered on ScotEID within 27 days of birth in accordance with the cattle identification and traceability regulations).
• Calf deaths
• Bought in breeding females
• Extenuating circumstances

With regards extenuating circumstances, as the calving interval condition will apply to all animals; there will be no exemptions to this condition outside of the normal exceptional circumstances/force majeure mechanism.

Examples of force majeure or exceptional circumstances include:

• the death of the farmer/crofter
• the long-term professional incapacity of the farmer/crofter
• a severe natural disaster gravely affecting the holding’s agricultural land
• the accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the holding
• an epizootic disease affecting part of or all of the farmer’s livestock (for example, Foot and Mouth)

If, as a result of force majeure/exceptional circumstances, you have been unable to comply with the rules of the scheme, you may retain the right to aid in respect of the claimed animal numbers.  To qualify, you must notify the Rural Payments Agency in writing with relevant evidence within 15 working days from the date you are in a position to do so.

Our Management Matters article this month looks in more detail at the implications of the scheme in terms of payment rates and herd management issues.

For further information about the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme ‘Frequently Asked Questions,’ please click on this link: Scottish-Suckler-Beef-Support-Scheme—FAQ—Aug-24.pdf (ruralpayments.org)

Nature Restoration Fund

The Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is a competitive fund, which specifically encourages applicants with projects that restore wildlife and habitats on land and sea and that address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.  While nearly £40 million has been distributed through the Nature Restoration Fund since 2021; the Scottish Government has announced that this year, in order to fund local council pay offers, £5 million from the Nature Restoration Fund is being redirected to fund the pay offer but added that it would be replaced in future years.  If you have any queries about the fund, please email Nature Scot at NRF@nature.scot

 

Key dates

 

christine.beaton@sac.co.uk