SCOTLAND'S farmers and crofters will begin to receive their Common Agricultural Policy 2019 payments in February, ScotGov has announced.

Pillar One payments will start then – earlier than the payments for 2018. Pillar Two payments will begin in April.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “With Scotland on the verge of being removed from the EU against our wishes, it has never been more important to provide farmers and crofters with clarity and certainty over payments. That is why I am publishing a timetable outlining when they can expect to receive their 2019 CAP payments.

“We have taken a number of steps to ensure that adequate funding is available. Eligible farmers and crofters have received more than £340 million through the National Basic Payment Support loan scheme, which paid up to 95% of individual payments from October.

“We have also issued more than 10,000 National Less Favoured Areas Support loan offers, worth £42.5 million, with payments starting before the end of January for those who return their acceptance confirmation. I am determined that we will continue to demonstrate the stability of our payment system and enable farmers and crofters to plan ahead with confidence.”

In detail, the timetable indicates that the Basic Payment Scheme / Greening / and Young Farmer payments will begin in February, while payments under the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme, the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme, Rural Priorities, the Forestry Grant Scheme, and the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme will begin in April.

Payments under the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme will begin in May, followed by the Beef Efficiency Scheme in June. The intention is that payments for all these schemes will be over 95% complete by June.

Aside from the normal CAP funding, the first tranche of Scotland's 'convergence' payments, totalling £90 million, will be paid before the end of March.