Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024

Part 2 S Agriculture, food and drink

Farming etc. S

2 (1) Assisting persons to carry out agricultural activities.

(2) For the purposes of this schedule, references to agriculture include—

(a) horticulture,

(b) growing crops, including fruit, seeds and plants grown for the production of energy or other non-food purposes,

(c) dairy farming,

(d) livestock breeding and keeping (including apiculture),

(e) deer and game farming,

(f) the use of land as grazing land, meadow land, osier land,

(g) market gardens and nursery grounds, and

(h) the use of land for woodlands where that use is ancillary to the farming of the land for other agricultural purposes, including—

(i) providing shelter to livestock,

(ii) reducing flood risk,

(iii) reducing soil loss,

(iv) reducing risks to wader birds, including curlew.

(3) In this paragraph, “horticulture” means the growing and harvesting of horticultural crops, including fruit, vegetables, tubers, mushrooms, herbs, bush and tree nuts and seeds.

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 1 para. 2 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 38(2)

I2 Sch. 1 para. 2 in force at 16.6.2025 by S.S.I. 2025/167, reg. 2(1)

Particular products or sectors S

3 (1) Assisting persons to produce (or produce in a particular way) a product listed in sub-paragraph (3) with a view to—

(a) ensuring that agricultural activity (or activity of a particular type) continues or evolves to support a transition to a sustainable land management regime in a particular area or on a particular type of land,

(b) ensuring that agricultural activity of a particular type continues,

(c) contributing to the economic or social wellbeing of an area,

(d) delivering an environmental benefit (such as the preservation of wildlife or a natural habitat).

(2) This purpose includes assisting persons to undertake an ancillary activity in respect of a product listed in sub-paragraph (3).

(3) The products are—

(a) cereals,

(b) oilseeds,

(c) protein crops,

(d) grain legumes,

(e) flax,

(f) hemp,

(g) wool,

(h) nuts,

(i) herbs,

(j) starch potato,

(k) milk and milk products,

(l) seeds,

(m) sheep meat, pig meat and goat meat,

(n) beef and veal,

(o) poultry meat and eggs,

(p) venison,

(q) dried fodder,

(r) hops,

(s) sugar beet,

(t) cane and chicory,

(u) fruit and vegetables, and

(v) short rotation coppice.

(4) In this paragraph, an “ancillary activity” is an activity of selling, marketing, preparing, packaging, processing or distributing a product.

Commencement Information

I3 Sch. 1 para. 3 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 38(2)

I4 Sch. 1 para. 3 in force at 16.6.2025 by S.S.I. 2025/167, reg. 2(1)

Food and drink S

4 (1) Assisting persons to—

(a) produce or process food,

(b) use organic practices, methods or systems for food production or processing,

(c) meet certification requirements for organic food production or processing,

(d) encourage agricultural and scientific innovation.

(2) This purpose includes assisting persons to undertake an ancillary activity in respect of the production or processing of food.

(3) In this paragraph, an “ancillary activity” is an activity of selling, marketing, preparing, packaging or distributing food.

(4) In this schedule, a reference to—

(a) food includes drinks, and

(b) producing food includes hunting or catching wild animals, or picking wild plants, for food.

(5) For the purposes of this paragraph, “animal” means a vertebrate (other than a human) or invertebrate.

Commencement Information

I5 Sch. 1 para. 4 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 38(2)

I6 Sch. 1 para. 4 in force at 16.6.2025 by S.S.I. 2025/167, reg. 2(1)