NFU Scotland (NFUS) will put forward a formal request to the Scottish Government later today calling for an extension to the deadline for submitting this year’s Single Application Form (SAF).
This follows European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan’s decision to allow member states to extend the deadline by one month to June 15 if they wish to do so.
NFUS said farmers and crofters needed more time to complete and submit the form as many had yet to receive the necessary updated maps for their business from government.
Union president Allan Bowie said: “We had hoped that the deeply flawed £180million IT system installed to deliver new Cap schemes would have improved to the extent that an extension to the application window would not have been necessary.
“While the majority report that the application process is improved, many members have yet to receive the up-to-date maps for their farms from Scottish Government needed to make their 2016 claim and time must be allowed for that to happen.”
He said the application for an SAF deadline extension should be a top priority for the new cabinet secretary for rural affairs when he or she is elected following yesterday’s election.
A Scottish Government spokesman last night said: “Our online application process has generally performed well this year. We would urge farmers not to delay and to get on with making their applications.
“We have not yet seen the detail of the proposal and we are aware that NFU Scotland plans to discuss the issue later this week, after which we will urgently engage with ministers and reach a decision.”
