A leading figure in Scottish agriculture has urged farmers and crofters to stick with the government’s online rural payments system.
Brian Pack, a former chief executive of ANM Group who published a report into cutting red tape in agriculture for government last year, says Scottish agriculture cannot risk losing the online system.
The newly launched Rural Payments and Services online system has been repeatedly criticised by industry in the past few weeks.
Its equivalent down south has since been ditched by the Rural Payments Agency and English farmers are being forced to submit paper Single Application Forms (SAFs) this year.
Mr Pack has now urged farmers to be patient with the Scottish system.
“The prize of a common IT system is so great that we can’t risk losing it,” said Mr Pack.
“It’s at this stage that constructive dialogue and a shared vision of the future is essential. A blame culture will never deliver the prizes originally envisaged for the system and that is where the energy should be directed. We should be very appreciative of the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver such an ambitious application that will provide real benefits.”
There was potential to expand the system in future to enable data sharing across the industry to achieve efficiencies for both farmers and regulators, added Mr Pack.
“The whole IT system promises a step change in customer care but is at a critical stage,” he said.
“It will take a lot of energy and goodwill from all parties to deliver the prize of a fully interactive online system to manage Cap applications and conformity. Failure is not an option.”
All farmers and crofters are required to register their businesses with the system, regardless of whether they submit their SAF online, in order to receive payments. This must be done by May 15.