The UK government must 'play fair' in allocating Scotland's dairy farmers with EU emergency funding, Scottish rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing has said.
In a letter to George Eustice, Defra Minister, Mr Ewing said the distribution of EU emergency funding must be based on the long established and accepted model for sharing the UK's CAP budget.
"It’s important that the allocation of the EU emergency support within the UK is fair and equitable," he said.
"Both dairy farmers and the wider livestock sector in Scotland has suffered greatly from the financial effects that the volatility within global markets caused.
Mr Ewing believes the situation has been made worse by the uncertainty caused by the outcome of the EU referendum.
"And the level of remoteness and limited access to processing facilities, which affects large numbers of our livestock farmers, also present pressures which are unique to Scotland," Mr Ewing said.
"That’s why agriculture takes on a much greater significance for the Scottish rural economy and for the sustainability of our fragile communities.
"This has long been recognised by the fact Scotland receives just over 16 per cent of UK CAP payments.
"I’m therefore urging George Eustice to urgently reconsider this matter and play fair by Scotland’s dairy farmers. The CAP model should be used to allocate this package of support across the UK."
