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Farm support system in meltdown, claim crofters

The consultation has been launched ahead of next year's commissioner elections
The consultation has been launched ahead of next year's commissioner elections

A mere 1% of crofters have taken delivery of farm subsidy payments, according to a Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) survey.

The crofters body has accused the government’s farm subsidy support system of being in “melt-down” after a survey of its members found only 1% had received any subsidy monies by the middle of this month.

“Not only are crofters not getting paid, nearly half of our respondents had not received a letter illustrating what they could expect,” said federation vice-chairman Russell Smith, of Bonar Bridge, in Sutherland.

“This is a ludicrous state of affairs. How is a person to plan for their enterprise if they are left in the dark as to what they may get paid? And there is discontent in those who did receive an ‘illustration’ of what their payments may be, with some taking a cut. But what is an ‘illustration’? There is no indication as to what level of confidence we can have in the figures given.”

He criticised previous government comments that the delays were a result of industry wanting three payment regions and associated headage schemes.

“Crofters did not ask for this. The SCF has always advocated a two-region system which would have been far simpler and would have favoured crofters,” added Mr Smith.

“The lack of payments, compounded with the poor weather, is causing real distress to crofters. Scottish Government has to sort this mess out now.”

The Scottish Government’s failure to pay all farmers and crofters their subsidy money has come under fire by industry.

NFU Scotland last week called for a new timetable to be set out for when payments would be paid, after government failed to meet its own target of paying 25% of all applicants by the end of 2015.

It hit out at government for only paying 3,500 producers – around 18% of all applicants – their payments by the end of last year, warning that four out of every five applicants were in the dark over when their payments would arrive.

Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead last night confirmed the next round of payments to farmers will start in the next few days.

Payments have already been made to 3,500 farmers and further payment runs to thousands more will start in the next few days.

Mr Lochhead has also reiterated that, in the face of implementing a very complex and difficult Cap reform agreed with industry, the Scottish Government still aims to make first payments to the majority of farmers by the end of the month.

Mr Lochhead said: “I know that farmers and crofters around the country are keen to have information on when they can expect their subsidy payment, and I have set out the position today to NFU Scotland.

“The Scottish Government has already made payments to 3,500 applicants and further payment runs to thousands more of our hard-working producers are starting in the next few days. The first of those payment runs will be to around 1,000 farmers and crofters tomorrow meaning that they should receive their payment in the coming days, as will many more by the end of the month.

“Officials are continuing to work flat-out to ensure payments are made as quickly as possible. We are still aiming to pay the majority of farmers and crofters by the end of January, and to do all we can to avoid or minimise any delays to other payment schemes.

“I am committed to giving the industry another update by the end of this month and, in the meantime, anyone who is concerned about their own payment can contact our customer helpline on 0300 300 2222.”