United Kingdom-NFU Scotland.
Following further discussions with the Scottish Government and its members, NFU Scotland has presented refined proposals to improve the delivery of rural development funding.
In particular, NFUS has developed a small number of key new support measures under the Land Managers’ Options (LMO) scheme. The Union is urging Government to present these options to Brussels over the next couple months in order to secure their introduction for 2010. The Union is convinced these measures will go a considerable way to addressing the widespread concerns over the rapid loss of livestock production in the hills and uplands, as well as presenting workable options for other sectors.
NFUS recognises that governments across Europe have new policy flexibility following the latest reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. However, having examined the option, NFUS is opposed as a short term fix to using Article 68 of the Single Farm Payment regulations, which allows governments to top-slice support payments across all sectors to target at particular sectors or geographic regions. NFUS believes that using Article 68, which is very limited in scope, at this juncture risks destabilising others sectors for very little gain. In contrast, new LMO options have considerable potential to make a real difference on the ground.
NFUS Vice President Nigel Miller said:
"From September when we launched our proposals, we have been on a journey involving detailed discussions with members, other organisations and government. We are now at the point where we have refined our proposals to a core package of support which we need Scottish Government to now grasp and take forward.
"Securing the Beef Calf Scheme as a tool has been done, however the signal from Government is that they won’t find additional money for LFA Support. Therefore, everything now hinges on the Government delivering on its commitment to making rural development support, under Land Managers’ Options, work. Our short-list of proposals will deliver meaningful support for hill sheep, as well as options for other sectors. Crucially though, the new options would deliver public benefits in terms of conservation, and targeted development of the industry.
"The Article 68 top-slicing option is a tool available but it simply won’t work as a short-term fix. Article 68 as a short-term measure would deliver little to any beneficiaries and risks destabilising other sectors already operating in an increasingly volatile environment. Also, during our discussions around the country, there was no appetite for using article 68 as it is drafted, either from those who would see their support reduce or, crucially, from those who would potentially gain.
"We have focussed on being both constructive and flexible in our discussion with Government, but we are now at the point where we think we have developed a package that will deliver. The clock is now ticking to get measures in places for 2010 so we need Scottish Government buy-in on this urgently."
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