Farmers across Moray could receive grants of up to £20,000 through a new round of Scottish Government funding designed to help agricultural businesses invest in their future.
The Future Farming Investment Scheme will support projects ranging from improved soil management and new hedgerows to better livestock handling facilities and equipment.
A total of £14.25 million has been allocated to the scheme, with at least 725 farming and crofting businesses expected to benefit across Scotland.
For farmers in Moray, the funding offers an opportunity to invest in practical improvements at a time when agricultural businesses continue to face pressure from rising costs and increasingly unpredictable weather.
Moray MSP Laura Mitchell has welcomed the latest funding and is encouraging eligible farmers across the area to apply.
She said:
“Farmers are at the heart of communities across Moray, producing high-quality food, supporting local jobs and caring for the land.
“These new grants will help businesses future-proof and modernise their operations in the face of rising costs and increasingly extreme weather.
“It is absolutely right the Scottish Government brought these grants forward as the Labour UK Government wage war on our rural communities, be that through sky high diesel prices, compounding the damage of Brexit or the family farm tax.
“I would encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible for this fund to apply.”
The scheme is intended to give individual farming and crofting businesses flexibility over where investment can make the greatest difference.
That could mean spending money on the land itself through soil improvements or hedgerow creation, or investing in facilities and equipment that make everyday farming operations safer and more efficient.
The £20,000 maximum grant also puts meaningful investment within reach of smaller businesses which might otherwise struggle to fund improvements from existing cash flow.
Agriculture remains an important part of Moray’s economy, supporting employment directly on farms while providing work throughout food production, transport, engineering and the wider rural supply chain.
The announcement also comes as farming businesses consider how to adapt to changing weather patterns while continuing to produce food and manage the countryside.
For those considering investment, the message from Mitchell is straightforward.
Check whether the business qualifies and, if it does, make an application.
