The changes include the removal of payments for so-called "slipper farmers", who do not use land for agricultural purposes. There will also be further support for sheep farmers and beef producers. But fears have now been raised that changes to EU subsidies could cost farmers in the south west of Scotland £90m.
The Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead detailed how the new common Agricultural Policy has detailed how the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be implemented in Scotland during a statement at Holyrood.
The measures include:
Land with no agricultural activity to be removed from the payment regime.
Sporting estates to be excluded from receiving direct farm payments unless they can prove they are a genuine farm business.
Basic direct farm payments to be capped at about £400,000 a year, after labour costs, to address the issue of huge individual payments.
A £45m three-year beef improvement scheme and a "coupled support scheme" for sheep producers to be introduced
A five-year transition between 2015 and 2019 for the move from historic to area-based farm payments, which is required by Europe, is also proposed