TIME is running out for farmers and crofters wanting to access the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme, as the deadline for applications looms on Monday, October 17.
SUSSS is designed to assist active hill farmers and crofters through a payment coupled to the number of ewe hoggs they keep as breeding replacements for their flocks.
However, NFU Scotland has warned applicants that Scottish Government’s decision not to alter the scheme's rules means payments will continue to vary depending on the total number of eligible animals claimed in the scheme year, and are thus likely to once again fall short of predicted rates.
Payment rates under year one of SUSSS were equivalent to €78 per eligible ewe hogg – well below the Scottish Government’s original €100 estimate – due to significantly more animals being claimed than were expected.
A list of suggested improvements to the scheme included a wider application period, more appropriate retention periods and linking the total number of ewe hoggs a producer can claim to a percentage of the breeding ewes they keep, which NFUS believed that would avoid over claiming.
But none of these suggested improvements have been taken on board. The union's LFA committee chairman Martin Kennedy, who farms in Highland Perthshire, commented: “NFUS fought hard for a coupled sheep payment to be part of the new CAP schemes to ensure that Scotland’s limited budget could be targeted in the best way possible at active farmers and crofters.
“The rate of payment in year one was disappointing compared to what applicants had been expecting, and we believed positive tweaks could easily have been made by Scottish Government for year two that would have fine-tuned the system.
“These tweaks would not only have made these precious funds more applicant friendly but also be far better targeted at those active hill sheep producers who are most reliant on the support. With no changes to the scheme, Scottish Government must be open with industry on what the likely rates will be in year two, so applicants can plan and budget.
“That said, I would still urge crofters and hill farmers eligible for SUSSS to press ahead with their application before Monday," said Mr Kennedy. "The funds they may receive will be a vital element of the total amount of support they will get under the CAP schemes. SUSSS, along with Basic Payment Scheme, greening, Less Favoured Areas support and beef calf scheme payments, will assist the viability of their farm or croft.”