FOR ALMOST every farmer and crofter, 2016 will be remembered as a year when the Scottish Government’s troubled IT system failed to deliver CAP payments on time, bringing Scotland’s rural economy to the brink of collapse – and the industry now wants 2017 to bring a "step change" in the delivery of CAP support.

Despite hard-won loan schemes that plugged the Spring gap in the rural economy, to the value of £500 million, and again in November, putting more than £265 million into farm and croft accounts, the union said that farmer frustration with the whole system remained high.

Further administrative failures caused mistakes in that latest stop-gap loan scheme, and when a recent Audit Commission report pointedly questioned whether the £180 million IT system would ever be fit for purpose, few farmers were surprised.

NFUS is now adamant that 2017 must see Scottish Government draw a line under such cock-ups and put farmers and crofters back on a firm footing. The union wants a clear timeline set out, not only for the delivery of balance payments for the 2017 Basic Payment and Greening schemes, but for all schemes due in the year ahead, including coupled schemes for hill sheep and beef calves and rural development schemes such as Less Favoured Areas and agri-environment.

Union president Allan Bowie said: “We want to see 2017 bring a step change in Scottish Government’s delivery and a return back to a more normal situation.

“On the positive side, there was a marked improvement in the scheme application process. We need that improvement to continue when 2017 online applications go live next spring.

“But where the Scottish Government must improve is in setting a clear timeline for all 2017 payments so that farmers can manage their cash flows. And when payments are made in 2017, we must see those followed by information to claimants, clearly stating what they have been paid and how it has been calculated," said Mr Bowie.

“If payments to claimants are to be delayed, then information on the reasons for those delays must be made available. Too often our members have received a shrug of the shoulders in response to queries, and despite the best efforts of local SGRPID staff, the reason a payment is being held up is never identified.

“The ability to address the ongoing delivery problems is in the gift of the Scottish Government," he insisted. "Come next autumn, we want to be convinced that support scheme delivery will be seamless and the need for national loans no longer required. However, if we believe that the IT system is set to fail again then our members can be reassured that we will be looking for Scottish Government to act.

“It is going to take considerable time for farmers and crofters to have confidence once more in the payments system. But that confidence and trust will come with consistency, reliability and delivery on time.”