1,000 farmers still await European subsidy payments
More than 1,000 farmers in Scotland are still waiting for their European subsidy payments to be processed, figures show.
More than 1,000 farmers in Scotland are still waiting for their European subsidy payments to be processed, figures show.
The latest weekly update said 1,061 of 18,479 eligible businesses had not received payment under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheme as at August 24.
The figure is almost double the 532 reported on August 5 after the Scottish Government said some payments had been mistakenly double counted.
Problems with a new IT system meant there have been delays in getting money to many farmers.
The deadline for the payments to be made has been extended from the end of June to October 15.
Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles described the situation as a “shambles”.
He said: “At a rate of around five hundred applications being processed each month, it could be the winter before some farmers receive their payments.
“Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is haemorrhaging overtime pay and now it seems they do not even have a clear idea of how many farmers are yet to have their applications processed.
“This is despite promises from the minister that the whole debacle would be cleared up and all payments made by the end of June.
“Farmers need assurances that there is light at the end of this tunnel and all payments will be made by the end of this month.”