McArthur urges Ministers to address delay in Single Farm Payment

Orkney's MSP, Liam McArthur has today written to Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie, following reports of delays in local farm businesses receiving their Single Farm Payment.  

Constituents who made successful claims under the Future Farming Investment Scheme and submitted the relevant evidence ahead of the deadline have been informed that because their FFIS evidence has not yet been assessed, they may experience a delay in receiving the SFP.  

Mr McArthur has urged the Minister to take urgent action to ensure farm businesses are not penalised by delays despite having done everything asked of them by the Scottish Government.

Commenting, Orkney’s MSP said:

"Small farm businesses are heavily reliant on the Single Farm Payment and organise their work and budgets around the schedules for receiving that support. Any delay can cause significant disruption and cash flow pressures even for very well-run businesses.
 

"It is unacceptable, therefore, that farmers who have been successful under the Future Farming Investment Scheme and provided all the information necessary by the stated deadlines should then be penalised because of inefficiencies within the Scottish Government. 
 

"I have written to the Minister highlighting the damaging impact such delays are likely to have on farm businesses in Orkney and across Scotland. Mr Fairlie must now take the urgent steps to rectify any problems and remove the risk of delays."