Scotland’s upland beef farmers could be left “shafted” by the new Common Agricultural Policy deal, the Scottish Beef Association warned yesterday.
The SBA claims many beef producers are set to lose as much as 50% of their current Single Farm Payment once Scotland moves from historic-based to area-based direct payments scheme in 2019.
It is now calling on beef producers to make use of the Scottish Government’s ready reckoner – a tool which gives an indication of what farm payments may look like under the new regime – to calculate how they will be affected.
“I am hearing some scary reports from SBA members who are set to lose up to 50% – nearly £170 a cow – of their SFP in the new regime,” said chairman Scott Henderson said yesterday. “There must be hundreds of beef farmers out there who have both permanent grass and rough grazing, and many could be impacted by this.
“These active farmers are the backbone of the Scottish beef herd and it is vital we get a handle on the number of farms affected so we can take this to the Scottish Government.”
He called on any beef producers concerned about the impact of the new regime to contact the SBA through its website, to help the association gather information to present to the Scottish Government.
“Before completing the online consultation it is essential that every respondent uses the ready reckoner to work out their new SFP as it will make a fundamental different in how you fill in your response,” added Mr Henderson.
The association is calling for a three-region split once an area-based payments system is introduced in Scotland, with payment rates of around £190 a hectare for arable and temporary grass, £240 a hectare for permanent grass and £18 a hectare for rough grazing.
SBA says reduction coefficients should be used to ensure farmers with rough grazing land get realistic payments, while avoiding the risk of giving so-called slipper farmers a platform to operate. As part of Cap reform, the beef body is also calling for no cross-compliance measures to be used until the European Union has verified what the penalties will be, full area payments to be awarded to new entrants, and no capping to support payments.
A Scottish Government spokesman last night said: “We are currently consulting with stakeholders on how to implement the Cap from 2015. Future Cap payment schemes will be very different from the payments systems in place at the moment and we believe it is important to consider the overall Cap package as a whole in the decision-making process.”
Quality Meat Scotland’s Stuart Ashworth said: “QMS recognises the considerable threat to the level of support received by many cattle and sheep business generated by the need to move to regionalised area based support under the new Cap. Consequently, we would also encourage beef and sheep producers to use the ready reckoner, even although it can only be an indication of one option.”