Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024

13 Exceptional market conditions: powers available to Scottish Ministers

(1) Subsection (2) applies during the period for which an exceptional market conditions declaration under section 14 has effect.

(2) The Scottish Ministers may provide, or agree to provide, financial support to agricultural producers in Scotland who have been, are being, or are likely to be, adversely affected by the exceptional market conditions described in the declaration.

(3) Nothing in this section affects any other powers that are available to the Scottish Ministers (including under assimilated direct legislation and assimilated direct CAP legislation) to provide financial support to agricultural producers.

(4) Financial support under subsection (2) may be provided by way of grant, loan or guarantee or in any other form.

(5) The financial support may be provided subject to such conditions as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.

(6) The conditions may, in particular, include conditions requiring the repayment or otherwise making good of any financial support (with or without interest).

(7) Nothing in subsection (1) or (2) prevents the Scottish Ministers from providing, or agreeing to provide, financial support under subsection (2)—

(a) after the end of the period for which an exceptional market conditions declaration has effect, but

(b) in response to an application made during that period.