APPEARING in public together for the first time since their very public falling out over how Scotland's convergence cash catch-up should be distributed, Scottish rural economy cabinet secretary Fergus Ewing and NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick have politely agreed to disagree – and move on.

At AgriScot's keynote agri-political seminar – which has been the venue for several ministerial maulings in years gone by – there was no time wasted in addressing the elephant in the room.

Mr Ewing noted that his plan for the cash had made neither remote crofters nor lowground farmers totally happy, so between the two positions, he was content that 'we might have got it just about right'.

Challenged more specifically about whether it was right to shore up the Less Favoured Area scheme with money intended as a boost for Pillar 1 support, Mr Ewing reminded the audience that, in answer to industry demands, he had pledged to 'do his damnedest' to maintain LFASS however he could, and had the convergence cash not been forthcoming, he would have gone to Scottish finance secretary Derek Mackay to make the case for more money.

"But I'm a politician, not a magician," he noted, saying that any request for extra money for farming would necessarily become a discussion about taking it from elsewhere in the Scottish budget, whether that be health or education, which was territory he was happy to avoid.

"I hope once the dust has settled and payments have been received, most people will feel that I did the right thing," said Mr Ewing.

Mr McCornick responded, with some degree of bite, that the agri-money coming to Scotland had not reduced, but that by the 'construct' of EU limitations on LFASS and the decision not to adopt the successor ANC scheme, a portion had undeniably been diverted elsewhere.

Speaking to the Press afterwards, Mr Ewing discussed the actual delivery of the convergence cash, and warned that farmers wanting to hear their personal figure in advance would wait in vain, as each pay-out would be based on the difficult calculation of the four elements – BPS, LFASS, upland sheep and suckler beef schemes – as they applied to each farm.

But he offered two simple assurances – no-one eligible for a share of the windfall would have to fill in a single form, and the first payment would be made to farmers before the end of March.