New timetable not “wall of silence” needed on CAP payments

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur and the National Farmers Union in Scotland have called for the Scottish Government to make a new timetable statement outlining when long-delayed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments are to be distributed.

The Scottish Government has failed to meet its own CAP payments timetable, despite investing £178 million in a new computer delivery system.

Only 18 per cent of Scottish farmers received their part payment by the end of 2015, confirmed by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs last week following questions from by Shetland MSP Tavish Scott.

Commenting Mr McArthur said: “Farmers in Orkney, and across Scotland, are increasingly worried by the Cabinet Secretary’s wall of silence. He promised letters before Christmas. Most arrived after New Year.

“Most producers do not know what they are getting or when. The Scottish Government must set out a timetable for vital CAP payments. Indeed, I am all too aware how important this is for farmers in Orkney, as well as those in the wider supply chain. They are already under greater financial pressure due to bad weather last year.  What they urgently need is greater clarity about what is happening.”

The NFUS has also called on the government for clarification on when payments will be made as well as assurances that failures to deliver direct support will have no knock-on effects on the delivery of other vital schemes including Less Favoured Areas support, beef calf and ewe hogg coupled schemes and agri-environment application approvals.

NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: “It has been a miserable and costly start to 2016 for many farm businesses and the ability to plan ahead has never been more crucial.

“The ongoing failure in Scottish Government’s systems to deliver new CAP scheme support means that it has already missed its own December target by some distance. Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead has indicated that his intention is to keep industry fully informed on progress so a new statement on payment timetables is now needed.

“The fact is that Scottish Government paid out part-support to a meagre 18 percent of claimants in December – not 25 percent as intended – meaning 82 percent are still completely in the dark as to when their first payments will arrive.

“Moving forward, our clear position remains that 90 percent of business should be receiving 90 percent of their BPS and Greening payments by the end of January and anything less is unacceptable given the current circumstances that farmers and crofters find themselves in.”