The Scottish Government is under mounting pressure to announce how it will implement the new Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) in 2015.
According to Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the Scottish Government is the last UK administration to set out its plans, leaving farmers at risk of little or no time to get their cropping right ahead of the onset of new greening rules.
He said all other administrations – Wales, England and Northern Ireland – had already completed consultations and announced most if not all of their plans for the new regime.
The Scottish Government launched its consultation on how to implement the new basic payment scheme – the successor to the single payment scheme – in December and after an extension to the deadline, closed the consultation at the end of last month.
The farming industry is now awaiting news of how the scheme will be implemented – insiders expect an announcement at the Royal Highland Show in June – and Farm Minister Richard Lochhead will have to get the scheme rubber stamped by EU officials before the end of July.
Mr Moody’s warning comes in the same week EU politicians finally voted to sign off all Cap reforms for the new regime coming into force next year.
“The urgency of 2015 is now paramount. We are dealing with four different Caps in the UK and we are no longer dealing with a policy which is particularly common,” said Mr Moody at a briefing in Dunblane this week.
“We have had no decisions from the Scottish Government. They were the last to issue a consultation paper in the UK and they are the furthest behind of all the governments in the UK.”
He said arable planting in autumn this year would be the start date for new crop diversification, or three-cropping rules, and farmers needed to know sooner rather than later what is required of them.
Mr Lochhead this week pledged that “one way or another” the Scottish Government would stick to its timetable for decisions on the new Cap.
His comments came following yet another political U-turn over coupled support.
Last week, EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos shot down Scotland’s proposals to increase the proportion of its direct payments budget it uses for coupling from 8% to 13%.
However, this week the Scottish Government was told increasing coupling was back on the table and EU officials would work with Scotland to find a solution.