UK FARMING minister George Eustice has committed to a review of the allocation of the UK’s €230 million convergence dividend before the end of this year.
The European Union cash was given to the UK in 2013 as part of the political effort to 'converge' all of Europe's farmers onto a more or less equal rate of support payment per hectare - and with Scotland's farmers lagging way behind their English, Welsh and Northern Irish colleagues on that 'per hectare' basis, the expectation had been that the lion's share of that €230million would end up in Scottish pockets.
But the then Defra minister Owen Paterson saw it differently, and exercised his power to share the cash across all of the UK's farmers.
Ever since, it has been the "unerring goal" of the National Farmers Union Scotland to have that allocation reviewed, and this week, after meeting with current Defra farm minister Mr Eustice, the union declared that it had been given a firm commitment that such a review would happen this year - although what the outcome of that review may be remains to be seen.
"Following continuous lobbying, NFU Scotland was previously promised that this would be reviewed once the new CAP was implemented," said the union. "Now this is being implemented there are no obstacles for this review to take place; this was recognised by the Minister at today’s meeting.
"An unerring goal of NFUS since 2013 has been to secure real movement on the allocation of the UK’s €230 million convergence dividend from the EU. Scotland, with the third lowest direct support payment rate per hectare in the EU, was the reason why the UK received this dividend due to Scotland’s below average area payment rates. However, the UK Government chose to share this across the whole of the UK on the basis of historic allocations."
Union president Allan Bowie added: “When the Minister spoke at our AGM in February last year he made it clear that a review of the internal allocation of UK CAP funding could be started once each of the devolved administrations in the UK had implemented the new CAP. With this now done we discussed with him the timetable for this review.
“He made it clear today he wants the review concluded by the end of this year and is prepared to work with NFU Scotland, ahead of a formal consultation, to look at the mechanism to be used to deliver a fair allocation of UK CAP funding.
“We welcome the opportunity to work with his officials on how a fair allocation can be delivered and the fact that this work will be started immediately. We expect the Minister to say more shortly on the review process.”
For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday’s issue of The Scottish Farmer or visit www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk
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