Scotlands New Seed Certification Fees: What You Need to Know

The Scottish Government is updating its seed certification fees in a new legislative move aimed at ensuring full cost recovery while maintaining high standards for farmers and growers. Here's a simplified breakdown of what's happening.

What's Changing?

The Seed (Fees) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 introduces revised fees for seed certification and related activities. This is part of an update to the Seed (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2018, which sets the costs for ensuring the quality of seeds used in agriculture and horticulture.

Why the Change?

Every year, the Scottish Government reviews these fees to ensure they cover the costs of certification services. The goal is to maintain a robust certification system without overcharging users. This year’s review, conducted by SASA (Scotland's Seed Certifying Authority), includes a 6.14% increase in most fees. However, certain services will see bespoke increases of 15% and 10%.

Impact on Costs

For example, the cost to certify a tonne of barley will increase by approximately £0.74, making the new fee around £18.71. These adjustments are informed by historical data and economic indicators like the UK GDP deflator.

Projected Outcomes

Despite these new fees, the projected revenue from these increases is expected to cover 97.1% of the certification system's total costs. This slight shortfall accounts for possible variations in service demand.

Consultation and Feedback

Interestingly, during an eight-week consultation period, no feedback was received from stakeholders. This consultation was open to over 30 relevant parties involved in the seed certification system. Additionally, a Business Regulatory Impact Assessment was attempted, but no businesses participated.

Legal and International Considerations

These changes have been deemed compatible with both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Scotland's commitment to EU alignment, though the latter is not directly relevant in this context.

When Will This Take Effect?

The new fee structure will be effective from 1st July 2025.

For those in the seed industry, these updates mean preparing for slightly increased costs, but they also promise continued high standards and transparency in seed certification across Scotland. Keep an eye on SASA's updates for more detailed information.