THE NFU Scotland has said its lobbying efforts to allow dual purpose breeds, such as fleckvieh, to be eligible for the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme, have come to fruition.
In previous years, some dual purpose breeds were eligible for payment. However, in 2015, the new scheme made them ineligible to receive support. However, following efforts from NFU Scotland this has now been reversed. This means farmers can now claim on 2016-born dual purpose-bred calves.
Those claiming dual purpose cattle breeds will need to provide additional evidence to prove they are in a beef production system. These claims will be dealt with on a case by case basis.