Quality Meat Scotland Conference: Rural Affairs Secretary speech

Good morning, can I say what an absolute pleasure it is to be with you this afternoon, at the home of Scottish rugby. I am sure some of you will have been here to witness the sensational victory at the weekend – a particularly sore point in my own household for my French husband. Let’s hope team Scotland can end the six nations campaign in style in Dublin!

As Sarah was alluding to, this is my last key speech as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the team at QMS – you are a shining example of an organisation which delivers for Scotland and our iconic red meat sector, and I’ve seen it first-hand so many times.

It has been an absolute privilege to work with Kate, Sarah and her incredible team over the years and to have had the chance to work with you in championing our world class red meat sector, both in Scotland and the UK

You have, and I am sure will continue, to provide strong leadership and inspiration for the sector which is driven by your own passion.

The work of QMS is absolutely vital in supporting and underpinning the red meat sector both in domestic and export markets. Scotch and Specially Selected are symbols of premium quality red meat – developed over many years and underpinned by a Team Scotland effort from farm to fork.

The red meat sector is one of the foundations of our £19 billion food and drink industry – supporting businesses and jobs across the supply chain.

From our farmers and crofters; to world renowned livestock markets and auctioneers; to our meat processors – each have uniquely important roles to play in sustaining and growing the sector.

I want to take a moment to send a very clear message to the sector. The red meat sector and all that it encompasses from farming and crofting through to processing and retail is a vitally important part of our economy supporting around 40,000 jobs and contributing £3.5 billion to the economy and a record £164 million in red meat exports in 2025.

It is an industry which helps feed our nation, supports our rural communities and economies and helps sustain those who steward our iconic landscapes. Thank you for all that you do.

As we are all painfully aware we live in an age of  global instability – the unfolding devastating scenes of war and destruction in the Middle East compound that feeling of anxiety and uncertainty and underlines to us all the fragility of many of our supply chains from food and energy to agricultural inputs such as fertiliser.  As a government we will walk by your side as we face these major  challenges of our time together in partnership.

One of the ways we can do that is by building resilience. One of the key projects that does that is the Monitor Farm Scotland Programme. It is a great example of collaboration and sharing best practice to meet those challenges head on. The Scottish Government is delighted to fund the current programme, which has now been running for over 20 years.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, from regional advisers and QMS staff to the Monitor Farmers themselves.

Your continued hard work, dedication and openness to share best practice – and your farms – has supported farmers across Scotland who are looking to improve the profitability, productivity and sustainability of their businesses.

Not only does the Monitor Farm programme help to ensure that farmers are kept up to date with innovations, but it also ensures that farmers continue to be involved in developing how innovation is introduced and embraced in the sector.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the programme and my officials will work with QMS to secure the future of the programme.

The Scottish Government aims to provide stability for the sector and to create the conditions in which businesses across the supply chain have confidence to invest for their future and deliver sustainable growth.

As a listening government we have heard your concerns loud and clear and that is why last year we sent a very clear signal to the sector that we would reach our climate targets in a way which works for rural Scotland - central to that is our policy on livestock.

I think that message is worth repeating – let me be crystal clear- there is no policy to reduce livestock numbers, there will be no policy to reduce livestock numbers.

Our iconic livestock sector is central to the very identity of Scottish Agriculture. That is why we continue to invest strategically in areas such as animal health to protect your herds and flocks.

We share your ambition for the sector, and that is why this government supports the QMS Meating our Potential campaign. I was proud to sign the pledge with the First Minister  and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity Jim Fairlie.

Our food and drink industry is an incredible success story, many of those businesses who have been integral to that success are in the room today. We want your businesses to thrive and grow – when you thrive Scotland thrives.

But to do that I know you need more than warm words, you need targeted support and investment across the supply chain.

I am therefore delighted to announce that next week we will launch our new Food and Drink Processing Scheme which will be open for applications.

This scheme, a key part of our £9 million of capital support for the sector, will provide competitive capital grants to support projects which can increase production, improve supply chain efficiency and deliver economic benefits within the food and drink sector.

The scheme will allow for individual grants of up to £400,000, made on a match-funded basis. Scotland Food and Drink will administer the scheme, which will unlock new growth opportunities for the sector and help to put it on a sustainable, secure footing for the future.

This investment complements our wider national food and drink sector support which is backed by a further budget of over £9m.

This includes funding for delivery of the national food and drink strategy which is focused on maximising growth opportunities.

In addition, we also want to reap the benefits that arise from Scotland being on the world stage, for example in the upcoming World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

Scotland Food and Drink, along with industry partners, are working at pace to make the most of  those opportunities, including support for businesses accessing overseas markets and growing Scotland’s global presence through exports.

I am hopeful that we can look forward to success for our athletes, footballers and the wider food and drink sectors.

Turning to our primary producers, I am acutely aware that we must ensure that we continue to provide long term stability and confidence for our farmers and crofters. Looking back across my time in office I am proud of the policy choices we have made here in Scotland.

In stark contrast to policies in other parts of these islands we have stood firm in maintaining the most generous direct support package in the UK, from BPS and Greening payments, to continued support for our beef and sheep producers through over £100 million annual investment in VCS and LFASS payments.

For anyone who wants some perspective on our policy choices – I would simply encourage you to speak to farmers in other parts of these islands – farmers who no longer receive meaningful direct support, or voluntary coupled support for livestock production or indeed LFA support.

The consensus is almost universal – things are better in Scotland.

As part of our distinctive approach we recognise the importance of supporting our smaller producers – that is why we continue to invest in areas like small scale private kill with over £400,000 invested this year alone, including support for co-ordination work by QMS.

This is part of our wider package of support for smaller producers which this year will include a tripling of investment in capital grants through our small producers’ pilot fund of £1.5m.

That certainty we are providing to our farmers and crofters does not mean that nothing will change. Carefully considered changes developed in partnership with the sector are already underway.

Those changes will be incremental – there will be no big bang moments or financial cliff edges.

Our Whole Farm Plan reforms are supporting producers to establish key baselines for soil, biodiversity, and climate – supporting them to make positive choices for their businesses and the country.

The calving interval reforms for the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme were changes designed to deliver for the environment and to maintain productivity.

Taking on board your concerns, we made further changes so that businesses claiming 10 calves or fewer will now not be required to meet the 410-day calving interval condition.

This ensures that smaller and island producers are supported appropriately, while maintaining the wider drive toward improved efficiency and lower emissions and supporting the suckler beef sector.

And on Bovine EID, our commitment for the delivery of UHF in Scotland remains steadfast.

The EU/UK SPS reset has unfortunately slowed progress in relation to that work, but it is our firm ambition to introduce bovine EID by 1 Jan 2028.  

There are still a number of challenges to overcome when considering the wider work that will be required following the EU re-set.

UHF is the technology of the future for livestock identification, and I recognise the need to get it done.

It will offer significant health and safety, traceability, and management advantages to all.

EID will be a vital tool in the delivery of our plans to drive herd efficiency and productivity in Scotland, as well as to deliver against future environmental goals.

Continuing on the theme of certainty, I am delighted to be able to announce that our payment strategy for 2026 will ensure the majority of payments will be paid at the earliest point in the year.

BPS and greening payments will continue to begin to be paid out in early September – helping you plan for the year ahead.

I know that farming and food production  is a long term business working in production cycles which can span years – being able to provide a longer term indication of government support is essential.

I am therefore pleased to be able to announce that over the coming weeks we will publish our rural support plan setting out plans for agricultural support up to 2030 and beyond.

At the heart of the rural support plan are people – our farmers, crofters and rural communities – you are the lifeblood of rural Scotland and the bedrock of our economy.

We all know that without people and thriving businesses in rural Scotland, we would not have the delivery mechanism for many of our policies from sustainable food production, to action for climate and nature.

Let me be very clear, through the rural support plan we will ensure that changes work for active farmers and crofters – we are determined to ensure support only goes to active farmers and crofters – those that are delivering the key outcomes and underpinning thriving rural communities.

The plan will ensure a balanced approach, one which puts the needs of rural people and businesses at its heart.

I continue to share your frustration about the impacts of decisions taken at a UK level which are not in the Scottish national interest, from immigration policies which starve our food and drink sector of skilled workers, to free trade deals which expose Scottish food and drink to an unlevel playing field.

Where we have the powers to support and protect Scottish interests, we will continue to work with you to deliver solutions.

Where decision making power currently lies at Westminster, we are continuing to make robust calls for action.

The failure to include the food and drink manufacturing sector in the UKG energy cost reduction scheme or the damaging increases to national insurance contributions are just two examples which are having a damaging impact on your businesses.

This year marks 10 years since the ill-fated Brexit referendum – 10 wasted years of dealing with the fallout from disrupted supply chains and damage to Scotland’s rural economy.

We cannot undo the damage of the past but we can learn and work together to build closer ties with the European Union, furthering Scotland’s interests.

This is why we have consistently called for the UK Government to negotiate an effective SPS agreement with the European Union that reflects the interests of our producers and consumers, which could remove the need for many post-Brexit checks and boost UK agrifood exports by over 20%.

It is vital that industry plays an active role in this.

The UK Government have just launched a business readiness campaign, which includes a call for information to hear directly from businesses about their needs as a result of the agreement.

I strongly encourage all Scottish businesses to respond to this.

The agreement must reflect the interests of Scottish producers and consumers, and its implementation should be planned in a way that allows businesses plenty of time to adapt to the resulting challenges and opportunities.

It was great to hear on the panel earlier too the Good Food Nation work we are taking forward. As part of our Good Food Nation ambitions we want to ensure that people here in Scotland have more opportunities to purchase and consume high quality food grown and produced here.

Part of that is about ensuring that more Scottish produce is used across the public sector in our schools and hospitals – boosting local producers and supporting climate goals.

That is why the First Minister announced at the recent NFUS AGM that we will be working with stakeholders from NFU Scotland’s public procurement roundtable to better understand how we can drive better procurement practice.

But I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the great work QMS is doing in this area too – bringing forward opportunities for young people to access Scotch beef, lamb and specially selected pork through the QMS meat voucher scheme, cookery demos and talks.

It’s about more than just providing the raw materials; the Make It Scotch Ambassadors tell the stories behind where meat comes from, sharing their passion for farming, food and education.

Taken together, this means offering our young people the chance to access incredible produce whilst at the same time offering insight into a world they may know little about and, very possibly, a future career.

Our young people are central to the future prosperity of the sector, it is the next generation who will drive change and foster the  innovation.

We are committed to better supporting our new entrants, young farmers and crofters.

We are determined to build on the foundations of that support through a package of measures covering skills, finance and access to land – the key ingredients to nurturing the success of tomorrows producers.

So far this year we have delivered 17 new tenancy opportunities for new entrants through Forestry and Land Scotland.

Through the work of the Crofting Commission we are laser focussed on freeing up more crofts for the next generation.

And through the implementation of our small landholdings reforms, we will support the creation of new entrant opportunities.

FONE has supported the development and governance of over £1m of targeted Scottish Government funded support, including the Next Generation Practical Training Fund and Land Based Pre-Apprenticeship Programme.

Access to patient capital continues to be a challenge – we are working at pace with the Scottish National Investment Bank to ensure we better understand how we can provide access to that patient capital that we know is so crucial to our young farmers and new entrants.

We also know that for many young people the key barrier to working in rural Scotland and putting down roots is access to housing.

Rural repopulation remains a key focus of this government. Put simply we want to see more lights on in our rural villages, straths and glens.

As announced by the First Minister recently, we will deliver a £20m rural and island house grant scheme modelled on the croft house grant scheme – delivering modest support and incentives to breathe new life into rural Scotland.

We will develop this scheme in partnership with rural stakeholders, ensuring it delivers for our young people and rural communities – enabling young people and families to put down roots, and in many cases supporting them to come home.

In drawing to a close, and, as my time in government draws to a close, I want to put on my record my personal thanks to all of you, the key stakeholders, businesses and individuals who I have had the opportunity to work with over the past five years.

It has honestly been the privilege of my life. This is an amazing industry, one filled with so much passion, potential and opportunities for growth.

I think we’re lucky here in Scotland – we have something really special here – an ability to work together as a team to find solutions rooted in the lived experience of our rural communities and businesses.

In finishing – let us work together – as team Scotland to build a future you can all have the confidence to believe in and invest in.

Thank you.