Scottish farmers and crofters have started receiving their share of £288 million of support payments this week.
The Basic Payment Scheme and Greening advance payments, which are two weeks ahead of last year’s first payments, started to reach bank accounts on Tuesday and will be paid to over 13,000 businesses across Scotland.
Speaking exclusively to The Press and Journal, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “I am determined to support Scotland’s farmers and crofters, who are the backbone of our nation, as we transition from the EU’s CAP Payment system to a support framework that realises our vision for Scotland to be a global leader in sustainable agriculture.
More than 13,000 Scottish businesses to receive share of £288 million
“That’s why we are ensuring stability by maintaining direct payments. And to help businesses with cost pressures, we legislated last year to allow the start date of the Basic Payment Scheme and Greening payments to be brought forward to September 2022, paying out £419 million in the year to August 2023 in support to Scottish farmers and crofters.”
‘Farmers and crofters are the backbone of our nation’ says rural affairs secretary
Ms Gougeon said that the Scottish Government has started payments in September to provide farmers and crofters with “much-needed’’ financial security as set out in the Programme for Government.
“In the coming year we will pay Scottish farmers and crofters £550 million, including a fresh round of Agri-Environment Climate Scheme funding, to support actions to tackle climate change and restore nature,” added Ms Gougeon.
Meanwhile, in England, the NFU has called on ministers to “do the right thing’’ after problems rolling out new farm payment schemes have left farmers facing a bleak end to 2023.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) should have been up and running to deliver payments by December, but critical delays in the roll-out of the new scheme mean most farmers are unable to access it.
This coincides with major reductions in payments under the old scheme which SFI was meant to replace, leaving farmers facing a double whammy in the run-up to Christmas.
The NFU has called on ministers to ”do the right thing” after delays in farm payment schemes in England
NFU president Minette Batters said: “We now know that farmers will not be paid this year, despite assurances that they would be. With farm input costs through the roof and interest rates soaring, this leaves farmers in a perilous place. The old scheme goes, the new one’s not ready, and farm businesses are caught in the middle. That’s not fair and we are calling on ministers to recognise that and make it right.”
