THE SNP has come under fire for “savage” and “premature” cuts to funding to help farmers tackle the climate emergency.

In the draft Scottish Government Budget, the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) budget is set to be cut from £42.7 million to £34.2 million as farmers mitigate the impacts of Brexit.

The fund supports nature and climate friendly farming methods on farms and crofts across Scotland.

Agricultural pollution accounts for around one quarter of Scotland’s total carbon emissions – with ministers aiming to reduce the sector’s impact from 7MtCO2e in 2020 to 5.3MtCO2e by 2032.

Chris Stark, the chief executive of statutory advisers, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) previously told MSPs that in Scotland “the agriculture sector has not been contributing” to reductions in emissions so far.

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Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing faced a backlash from Labour and Conservative MSPs during an appearance in front of Holyrood’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee.

But Mr Ewing insisted that responsibility for any reduction to funding should rest with the UK Government, which he says has cut money by £170 million over the next four years.

The existing levels of AECS funding have previously faced criticism from environmental groups. Scottish Environmental Link has warned that “unless there is a significant increase in the AECS budget, beyond previous levels, the prospect of both enabling those with current agreements to continue environmental management and to expand its reach to bring more land under nature and climate friendly management is negligible”.

Scottish Labour rural economy spokesperson, Colin Smyth, asked Mr Ewing “why have you made a choice to cut that particular budget”, particularly “at a time we face a climate and nature emergency”.

He added: ”Surely it’s premature to make such a savage cut and change the CAP when we still have no idea what your plans are for agricultural support at the end of the transition period.”

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Speaking after the meeting, Mr Smyth added: “This cut makes a mockery of the SNP's claim to be serious about climate change. It takes agri-environment funding down to just 6% of total farm support, leading to the axing of many initiatives by farmers and crofters to protect the environment.

“It will have devastating consequences for many of Scotland’s precious species and habitats, and hamper our efforts to tackle climate change.

“The lack of leadership from the SNP Government on what post-Brexit agriculture support will look like in Scotland means farmers and crofters are being left in the dark over what the future holds and, as a result, cannot plan properly.

“But what is becoming clear is that those in the sector who want to play their part through nature and climate-friendly farming, won’t get the backing they need from the SNP Government.”

But the Cabinet Secretary said his government has “carried forward spend from the previous programme”.

He added: “We have worked with NatureScot in order to deliver key components of the scheme. If you look at the spending overall, if you take account of the greening payments and the forestry payments and the other payments – around about one third of the total expenditure can be attributed to environmental schemes.

“It’s wrong to think in silos here. We are doing more.”

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Mr Ewing warned that “given the UK Government is cutting unilaterally the devolved budgets of the administrations by £170 million” there will be “less money to be spent on the environment”.

Conservative rural economy spokesperson, Jamie Halcro Johnson, said that the level of funding being provided by the Scottish Government “can’t be adequate if you’re being forced to make cuts”.

He added: “The simple fact is that the United Kingdom Government has maintained funding levels yet cuts have been made to the agri-environmental schemes. This is surely about priorities and the priorities that you make and you’ve chosen to make.

“The Scottish Government have made a choice to cut them back and to look at other schemes or other funding. That is a policy choice of the Scottish Government.

“Had it simply been a funding issue, we could recognise that – but the investment has gone into other areas.”

But Mr Ewing claimed that it was down to less funding from Westminster being allocated, adding that the UK Government has moved back on “public commitments that farmers and crofters would not be worse off”.