Scottish farmers urged to take up winter weather aid

Scottish farmers affected by the poor winter weather are being urged to apply to the Scottish Government’s aid scheme, which opened for applications today.

The £6 million Weather Aid scheme offers financial help to farmers hit by the severe snow storms of late March 2013; the wet and cold weather endured throughout 2012/13 and the sandstorms of early May this year.

The application form and detailed guidance is now available on the Scottish Government website. Applications must be made before the closing deadline on Friday July 5.

NFU Scotland’s President Nigel Miller, who is a member of the group of industry stakeholders who will assist the Scottish Government in assessing applications, said:

“The weather of 2012 left many farm businesses in a difficult position and the spring of 2013 has been both exceptional and extreme and had a huge impact on many livestock and arable farmers in the country.

“Our recent survey underlined the costs farmers have faced and showed that half of respondents had extended their borrowings in recent weeks with 13 percent having difficulties in securing further credit.

“This package recognises that and has been designed to help those who have lost critical numbers of stock or will rear significantly fewer animals this season. It will also assist those who have had to strip out and replant large areas of failed crops.

“We will be writing to all NFUS members, making them aware of the scheme and urging them to apply. The eligibility criteria have been set but we would urge farmers to view these as a guide and if they feel they have a genuine claim on weather-related losses, then they should go ahead and submit their application and allow the panel to assess it.

“Should the scheme be over-subscribed, then we believe it is appropriate that there is targeting towards those businesses most extremely affected by the snowstorms of late March as well as those farms not currently supported through schemes such as Single Farm Payment and Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme.

“The aid scheme is most welcome and timely and has the potential to help struggling farmers with a cashflow lifeline later this summer. It is clear that things will be tough this year and it may be 2014 before we see a sustained recovery. Our most recent survey showed that more than 80 percent of Scottish farmers are already expecting their output in 2013 to be down because of the weather.”