NFU Scotland has called for a step change in the way Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) support payments are delivered next year.
The union said 2016 will go down in history as the year the Scottish rural economy was on the brink of collapse thanks to failures with the Scottish Government’s new £178million Cap payments IT system.
Despite the introduction of loan schemes, given in the place of subsidy payments, the union said farmer frustration and anger with the IT system remained high.
It has now called on Government to “draw a line under the long-running payment debacle” and put farmers and crofters on a clear footing with regards payments next year.
NFU Scotland president, Allan Bowie, said improvements to the system must be made ahead of the 2017 round of applications.
He said: “Where the Scottish Government must improve is in setting a clear timeline for all 2017 payments so that farmers can manage their cash flows. And when payments are made in 2017, we must see those followed by information to claimants, clearly stating what they have been paid and how it has been calculated.
“If payments to claimants are to be delayed, then information on the reasons for those delays must be made available. Too often our members have received a shrug of the shoulders in response to queries, and despite the best efforts of local SGRPID staff, the reason a payment is being held up is never identified.”
He said it would take considerable time before farmers and crofters were confident using the system, however confidence and trust would come with “consistency, reliability and delivery on time”.
Responding to NFU Scotland, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing, said he was unsure what the union was wanting.
He said: “It is not entirely clear what NFU Scotland is asking for, given that we have already made clear our commitment to make 2016 payments by the end of June and our intention to put the payments onto a more secure footing.”
He said this commitment was re-stated by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Parliament earlier this month.
Mr Ewing also pledged to provide another update to Parliament in January.
