Press Release - The Scottish Beef Association is giving its full support to Richard Lochhead's comments in the wake of the latest CAP reform talks

THE Scottish Beef Association is giving its full support to Richard Lochhead's comments in the wake of the latest CAP reform talks.

Ministers met in Brussels for two days of discussions about the proposed deal with the Rural Affairs Secretary offering a lukewarm reception to the latest stage in the process.

He said the failure to introduce a level playing field on coupled payments to help Scottish livestock farmers had ‘tainted’ the deal for Scotland.

This is a stance shared by the SBA as the area payments signalled by the reform could well result in beef producers facing a drop of up to 75 per cent from the current single farm payment setup.

Such a hit makes coupled payments all the more crucial but we’re being told a two-tier system for these payments, with Scotland on the lower tier at seven per cent, is set to be given the thumbs up.

Other nations will be offered 12 per cent and the SBA is joining Mr Lochhead in his calls for this issue to be addressed in the negotiations between the European Parliament and the Presidency.
 
We fully support this line although it is being strongly resisted by UK government.

The final deal is hoped to be agreed in June with the Scottish Government this week confirming the deal will also see increased flexibility on how key parts of the CAP - such as greening, areas of natural constraint and the move to area-based payments ¬- could be implemented in Scotland. The provision of support for new entrants and an increase in support to some recent new entrants has surely also got to be welcomed.
 
Going forward the Scottish Government is holding a conference on April 17 to look at area payment models.

The SBA is looking for an area payment model which targets support at those parishes which historically drew most subsidy and therefore is one which is least number predudicial to beef producers. We would also like to see further targeted coupled support in an enhanced “Scottish Beef Calf Scheme”.

Watch this space.

Contact: Scott Henderson - 07850117377