Scottish Government has extended the deadline for submitting this year’s Single Application Forms (SAF) by one month.
The news of the deadline extension was delivered by NFU Scotland (NFUS).
Farmers and crofters will now have until June 15 to submit their SAF, rather than the original deadline of May 16.
NFUS said this was the second year in a row where problems with the government’s Rural Payments and Services IT system had merited an extension to the SAF deadline.
The union’s president, Allan Bowie, said: “While the majority report that the application process is improved, many members have yet to receive the up-to-date maps for their farms that are needed to properly submit their 2016 claim.
“We welcome the recognition from Scottish Government that additional time must be allowed for that to happen. While many of our members will have already submitted their claim we could not have allowed a situation to develop where many members could not submit a form because of mapping issues.”
He urged all farmers and crofters who had all the information they needed to complete their applications to submit them as soon as possible.
“Before pressing for this extension, we sought assurances from government officials that extending the deadline for application would have no implications for when payments will be made,” added Mr Bowie.
“It is already clear from last year’s deeply flawed payment process that lessons must be learned and the delays and payment debacle of the 2015 scheme cannot be repeated.”
He called on government to draw up a new contract with farmers and crofters and to set a timeframe when payments will be delivered in the future.
Mr Bowie added: “The fact that the IT system is still toiling to approve all applications made in 2015, means that a clear priority for the newly elected Scottish Government is to finish what it started and deliver all outstanding payments to all farmers. The financial hole that remains in the Scottish rural economy must be filled.”
