CONTINUAL failures by Scotland's £180 million Rural Payments computer have prompted NFU Scotland to suggest that the government should now accept that it is "flogging a dead horse".

Over the last two years, the troubled IT system has consistently failed to deliver farm payments on time, obliging ScotGov to bypass it entirely and inject cash into the industry through loan schemes, like the one a year ago which delivered £55 million of Less Favoured Areas support.

In the absence of any clear timetable for this year's LFASS payment, the union believes that ScotGov must now do the same trick – and then seriously consider if it should waste any more time trying to fix an apparently unfixable machine.

Union president Andrew McCornick this week used his union website blog to say that, had the Rural payments computer been a tractor, it would have been returned to the dealer long ago for a full refund.

Mr McCornick said: “For three years, we have been relying on a promise that the flawed IT system will start to work. This has not happened and the system is proving to be unfixable.

“NFU Scotland has consistently pressed at all levels for a firm date when we can put these IT problems behind us. IT failures experienced by NHS Scotland and Police Scotland have seen Scottish Government bite the bullet, seek refunds on contracts and turn off these failed systems," he noted.

“In addition, Audit Scotland has questioned whether the CAP futures programme will ever be fit for purpose. Given the ongoing problems, the time is right for the Scottish Government to consider a change.”

Mr McCornick recalled that last year, the Basic Payment and Greening support came in two parts, and this year, the National loan scheme came in November, and a further 10% of payments is arriving unannounced in accounts now.

Welcome though these economic stimuli were, the union president observed that the IT system was now delivering these payments in full over three stages, an additional complexity that was a step backwards for an industry promised a better, simpler system.

“For many of our hill farmers and crofters, support through the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme is more valuable to them than basic support and the £65.5 million scheme injects life into the most remote and vulnerable rural communities," he said.

“By this time last year, almost all those eligible had received 90% of their LFASS payment via a Scottish Government loan. But even here, the system is letting people down and a small number of producers are still waiting for either part or all of that 2015 payment. This year, there is no clear timetable when the system will be able to deliver LFASS, and that is unacceptable. A new LFASS loan is a priority."

The union also wants the government to give firm dates on when all other outstanding payments will be made, to enable farmers and crofters to plan ahead.