SAC Rural Policy Centre

For more than a decade the UK government has supported the development of energy crop production on agricultural land, however, the level of uptake by UK farmers has so far been low. At present, high grain prices and a reluctance to change cropping patterns limit farmer’s uptake of willow Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). Significantly higher wood chip prices are likely to be needed if willow is to be able to compete with conventional arable crops. Price trends in world agricultural commodity markets and changes to the current support for renewable energy will be important in determining any future expansion of willow area. This factsheet reports the findings of a recent study into the commercial viability of energy and other non-food crops in Scotland undertaken by SAC with funding from the Scottish Government.

(January 2008)