Farmers and crofters are struggling to complete all the necessary paperwork for their subsidy applications ahead of the June deadlines, warns a north-east consultant.
According to Gordon McConachie, a senior agribusiness adviser at CKD Galbraith, there is not enough time to properly submit both the Single Application Form (SAF) and application for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS).
The AECS form must be submitted by June 12, while the SAF is due in on June 15.
“SAF is absolute priority number one at the moment to ensure you have all the entitlements established this year,” said Mr McConachie.
“The online system was pretty hopeless and not fit for purpose early on. It has improved a lot but it’s still not going to be enough time to do everything and to do every agri-environment application.”
AECS was causing a headache because some applications required endorsements from government bodies such as Sepa or SNH, while the guidance was repeatedly changing, added Mr McConachie.
He said the lack of time to complete applications and the extra information required was likely to result in less applications being submitted this year.
As a result, he called on government to extend the AECS deadline beyond June 12, warning it was too close to the SAF deadline.
The concerns were shared by NFU Scotland.
The union’s director of policy, Jonnie Hall, said it was important that the momentum built up in agri-environment schemes over the years was maintained.
“We are well aware of the pressures that SAF applications are placing on farmers, advisers and Scottish Government staff. They are working towards an extended deadline of June 15 and the potential exists for that to have a knock on effect on AECS applications due to be submitted around the same time. We have been in discussions with Scottish Government to explore what flexibilities might exist to address this,” said Mr Hall.
“We understand rolling over existing agri-environment claims on a temporary basis is unlikely to meet EU approval and extending the deadline for AECS could have implications for those SGRPID staff already dealing with SAF applications in time for a December payment target.
“We accept SAF processing should take precedence but it is in everyone’s interest that we examine any option that ensures a good volume of AECS claims in year one of the new scheme.”