The National Beef Association is backing a National Sheep Association plan, which could add another £28 million a year to LFASS payments in Scotland from January 2010 using the EU’s Article 68 option, which allows SFP to be top sliced from all recipients and pooled for payment to selected categories of enterprise.
And in doing so has rejected a proposal put forward by the NFUS in which around £8-£10 million a year could have been found, without top slicing, for payment to hill farms which qualified through the adoption of selected Land Management Options (LMOs).
"We see this as the best way of giving most assistance to as many of Scotland’s active hill farmers as possible, and thereby protecting our country’s most vulnerable agriculture operations, while still maintaining the important Scottish Beef Calf Scheme which would continue to be fully funded through a four per cent top slicing of SFP at national level," explained Hamish McBean, vice chairman of NBA Scotland.
"The NSA has calculated that if a further six per cent of SFP is top sliced, bringing the total deduction to the ten per cent maximum, a further £28 million would be available to distribute to sheep and cattle farmers in the hills each year which, if £61 million in LFASS was added, would result in total annual aid for beleaguered hill areas of around £89 million."
"If this option is adopted its advantage would be that the overall payment becomes substantial - which is important because it is very badly needed."
"The NBA is adamant that any additional funding, from whatever route, should not be paid out on a headage basis and will soon be meeting with government, along with others in the industry, to discuss exactly how as many hill farms as possible can qualify for additional aid without offending the European Commission."
"This could be a challenging task but if everyone is constructive, and imaginative, I am sure we will come up with a solution which could be based on the preservation of hill pasture or some form of grazing management," Mr McBean added.
