A cross-party letter has been sent to the UK Government calling for about €230 million (£195m) in extra EU farming subsidies to be allocated to Scotland.
The additional Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) cash, known as the "convergence uplift", is worth up to €60m a year - the equivalent of about €230m over the whole budget period - and MSPs maintain the only reason the UK qualifies for the uplift is because of Scotland's low payments under the current system.
Addressed to the UK Government's Rural Affairs Secretary Owen Paterson and copied to Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael, the cross-party letter follows a recent debate in the Scottish Parliament where MSPs agreed that the UK's full uplift should come to Scotland in its entirety.
The letter - signed by Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead, and opposition Scottish rural affairs spokespersons Claire Baker (Labour), Alex Ferguson (Conservative) and Tavish Scot (Lib/Dem) - states: "We are writing to express cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament on an issue relating to the imminent decision on the within-UK allocation of the UK's CAP budget receipts for 2014 to 2020: namely, the need for the UK's external convergence receipts under CAP Pillar 1 to be allocated to Scotland."
The letter says these receipts exist because of Scotland's current position. All other parts of the UK are above the threshold set by the EU for external convergence, and it is only because of Scotland's extremely low average level of Pillar 1 payments per hectare that the UK fell below the threshold and qualified for an external convergence uplift. Passing on this uplift to Scotland will also not entail any deductions at all for farming colleagues in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
The letter concludes: "The European methodology focused entirely on per-hectare levels of payment, and the within-UK decision must be on the same basis."
giants lamb-asted
Scottish sheep farmers' frustration with major supermarket chains, Tesco and Asda, is growing as significant levels of imported lamb continues to be found on their shelves, despite Scottish lamb being in peak season.
At Tesco, that discovery is at odds with commitments made by the retailer this spring, following the horsemeat debacle, that it was going to bring its food chain sourcing "closer to home".
This is the second successive month in which NFU Scotland has highlighted the volume of Australian and New Zealand lamb in Asda and Tesco stores. In stark contrast, Morrisons and Sainsburys' stores visited by NFUS' team of "secret shoppers" last week found 100% commitment to British or Scottish lamb on their shelves. A quick look at butchers' shops around the country also found tremendous support for locally produced lamb.
Given that butchers and some major retailers are fully committed to home-produced lamb at the height of the season, NFUS says that Scottish farmers are justified in their demands that Tesco and Asda should follow suit.
NFUS' livestock policy manager John Sleigh said: "This is the time of year when Scottish lamb is at its tastiest and represents the best value for shoppers. So why on earth are Tesco and Asda buying and shipping in out-of-season lamb from the Southern Hemisphere to fill up its shelves?"
Market round-up
Harrison and Hetherington Ltd sold 21 prime heifers in Carlisle yesterday to a top of 264.5p per kg and an average of 208.3p (+12.4p on the week), while 17 prime bullocks peaked at 253.5p and levelled at 213.4p (+17.3p). Forty-seven prime, beef-bred bulls sold to 228.5p and averaged 197.7p (-1.6p), while 38 prime, dairy-bred bulls peaked at 188.5p and levelled at 156.8p (-10.4p).
In the rough ring 158 dairy cows averaged 126.8p (no change), and 131 dairy cows levelled at 87.3p (-5.8p).
The firm also sold 2864 prime lambs to a top of £113.80 per head and 271p per kg to average 177.1p (-7.9p).
The 344 cast sheep forward saw ewes sell to £87.50 for Texels.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 2286 prime lambs at Ayr yesterday to a top of £97 and 208.1p to average 174.6p (+4.6p).
The 885 cast sheep forward were easier on the week and saw ewes sell to £108 for Texels and £51 for Blackfaces.
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