NFU Scotland has written again to Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs calling for the long-promised review of convergence funding to be included in decisions on Scotland’s post-Brexit agricultural support package.

It follows evidence given by Mr Gove to two Scottish Parliamentary committees last week, and Mr Gove’s attendance at the recent Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, where no clear timetable to begin such a review was received, despite statements made by him in November 2017.  

It remains the unequivocal view of NFU Scotland that the UK was awarded the convergence uplift in 2013 from the EU, as part of the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy, because of Scotland’s low payment rate per hectare (approximately €130 per hectare).

Those CAP reforms, and the Multi-annual Financial Framework, set a threshold of 90 per cent of the EU average payment rate per hectare (which equated to about €243 per Ha).  The UK’s average rate per hectare fell below the 90 per cent threshold because of Scotland’s very low average payment rate (which is only about 45 per cent of the EU average).  Consequently, the UK will receive an extra €223 million (or about £190 million) over a six-year period.

Since late 2013, NFU Scotland has repeatedly asked three successive Defra Secretaries of State, and the current Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to recognise Scotland’s lower-than-average payment rate via a review and eventual reallocation of intra-UK CAP funding.

And successive commitments have been given by UK Government ministers stating that a review of the internal allocation of UK CAP funding could be started once each of the devolved administrations had implemented the new CAP.  This was not done.

What is more disappointing for NFU Scotland is that, despite the UK Government finally agreeing in November 2017 to conduct a review, that notion was swiftly kicked into the long grass by the UK Government informing them of an open-ended delay in recent months.

NFU Scotland President, Andrew McCornick said: “When we met with Mr Gove at the Highland Show we left him in no doubt that this long-running issue is critical to the future interests of Scottish agriculture.  Despite discussions at the Highland, and intense questioning by MSPs last week, we appear to be no further forward.

“The UK’s CAP budget convergence dividend issue must be fairly resolved to provide the financial base upon which to build future Scottish agricultural policy.  This review must also be about agreeing the framework for agricultural spending post-Brexit and beyond the requirements of the CAP.

“We are convinced that this issue can be swiftly and effectively resolved by undertaking the promised review based on non-historic allocations and objective analysis.  

“There is a clear opportunity for the UK Government to show an unreserved commitment to Scottish agriculture, and our Less Favoured Areas in particular, by honouring the pledges made to review made by successive Secretaries of State.”  

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Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006