The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
NFUS calls for extension to deadline
Scotland’s farming union has called for an extension to the application deadline for the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS).
According to NFU Scotland (NFUS), sheep producers will struggle to submit an accurate application to the scheme by the October 16 deadline.
The union has since written to Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing asking for an extension to the deadline.
It says producers are struggling to complete routine tasks such as gathering and clipping sheep, weaning lambs and making hay or silage, after enduring the fifth wettest summer on record.
The letter requests that the Scottish Government seeks European approval for a one-off extension to the application period to at least November 16, in recognition of the exceptionally poor weather.
The union’s vice-president, Martin Kennedy, who is also chairman of its less favoured areas committee, said: “Given this year’s extremely poor weather, especially in the west, not only do some farmers and crofters not have any winter fodder made, but they have had little or no opportunity to gather some of these extensive hillsides to clip, wean lambs and draw their future breeding stock.
“These are routine tasks normally completed long before now but persistent rain and mist have made safe gathering almost impossible in places.”
The ewe hogg coupled support scheme, which is worth around £6 million, is designed to support active hill farmers and crofters through a payment for a number of ewe hoggs kept as breeding replacements for their flocks.
“I firmly believe this small change will not make a difference to the inspection regime nor will it have any detrimental effect on calculation of eligibility or payment, but will make a massive difference to those who find the current deadline particularly challenging this year,” said Mr Kennedy.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We recognise the NFUS concerns and are considering their request for an extension.”