Tens of millions of pounds are being cut from projects aimed at helping farming communities, new figures show.

A parliamentary statement reveals the Scottish Government plans to reduce support for less favourable areas by £40 million and remove £42 million from climate change schemes.

The changes were revealed in a written statement from Rural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing following a parliamentary question from Tory MSP Peter Chapman.

Mr Ewing set out revisions to the budget for the Scottish Rural Development Programme, which will run until 2020.

Funding for the less favoured area support scheme will be reduced from £459 million to £419 million while the agri-environment climate scheme, which supports green projects, will be cut from £350 million to £308 million.

Mr Chapman, the party's rural affairs spokesman, said: "Money for farms in less favourable areas is absolutely vital.

"These are the businesses who need the investment most and now it's being reduced significantly by an SNP government which has turned its back on rural Scotland.

"When you consider the shambles of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) payments fiasco, it paints a grim picture for farmers across the country.

"This announcement effectively removes tens of millions of pounds from a sector that simply can't afford it.

"It's no wonder rural Scotland is deserting this nationalist government which is obsessed with central belt issues."