The Scottish government is leaving growers at a 'competitive disadvantage' compared to English farmers, NFU Scotland have said.
Despite a long running campaign by farming leaders, the Scottish government continues to ask for greening requirements of growers which 'go beyond' what is required at EU level.
Rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing promised to remove excess greening conditions in June but the union says he has failed to deliver.
'Greening', a major innovation brought in under the 2013 CAP reform, makes the direct payments system more environment-friendly. Farmers who use farmland more sustainably and care for natural resources as part of their everyday work benefit financially.
NFU Scotland's President Allan Bowie said: "The union remains resolutely committed to seeking changes within current greening requirements that address both Scottish Government gold-plating and the simplification agenda in Brussels.
"Despite a huge lobbying effort from officeholders, staff and members, securing changes to Scotland’s interpretation of greening rules has been a long, hard slog.
"After eight months of claiming that it was acting in accordance with EU rules, the Scottish Government finally conceded in February 2016, that its requirement for EFA Green Cover to be incorporated into the soil was home-grown gold-plating.
"Faced with overwhelming evidence of the environmental benefits of no-till and minimum tillage systems, the requirement was finally dropped."
'Feet to the fire'
Fresh talks with Mr Ewing and Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham have now been requested by NFUS, and union vice-president Rob Livesey insists it’s 'time to hold Mr Ewing’s feet to the fire.'
"It’s within his grasp to do something for agriculture. Roseanna Cunningham had a bit of a win, she got her own way on beaver reintroduction so we need to be getting something back for that," he said.
"Fergus is well aware of the issues, he’s been on the farms and is completely sympathetic to the nonsense that surrounds greening and how it undermines the competitiveness of the Scottish arable sector so he needs to deliver."
Mr Bowie said the common-sense changes to Scottish rules would allow mechanical control of weeds, the topping of green cover and drainage work to be carried out during the fallow period, activities that have been banned on EFA fallow in Scotland during 2015 or 2016 but have been permitted in England.
"Europe’s approach to Greening is changing and Scotland must come into line," Mr Bowie said.
"The European Comission’s proposed changes to Greening were leaked in June and contained many positive developments. The negatives included a proposal to extend the fallow period to nine months and it appears that this unhelpful rule change has been dropped.
“Looking beyond Brexit, we are also putting down markers on the sort of appropriate environmental requirements that might be attached to future agricultural support. That process involves building up an evidence base on how effective existing Greening rules have been and pulling together wider evidence of the many environmental benefits that Scottish agriculture already delivers.”
