Payment problems still affecting farmers, says McArthur MSP
The Scottish Government’s much troubled farm payment system was still affecting farmers in Orkney, Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur warned today, Tuesday August 21.
15 farming businesses are still waiting to receive CAP funding from the 2017 funding round.
In response to a parliamentary question, the rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing confirmed that 217 businesses in the Highlands and Islands and 149 in the South of Scotland were still to receive 2017 CAP basic payments. Plus dozens more in the North East and Mid Scotland and Fife.
Mr McArthur said: “The Scottish Government’s costly mishandling of farm payments over recent years has well documented. Having spent £180m on a new IT system, it appears that there is still no end in sight to the problems.
“Despite repeated promises, the Minister has now confirmed that hundreds of farmers across Scotland, including many here in Orkney, remain affected by payment delays.
“The practical effect of this is that the rural economy has been denied essential funds year after year. Amid all the uncertainty at present created by Brexit, this continued failure to provide confidence about payments is the last thing farmers in Orkney or elsewhere in Scotland need”.