Highland Show again freezes fees to aid crisis-hit farmers

THE organisers of the Royal Highland Show say Scotland’s premier agricultural event is on course to open as normal despite the financial crisis facing the farming community.

Bookings are holding up, say the organisers who will not be increasing charges for those appearing at the show, because of the plight of many on the land.

A flawed IT system delayed £300 million worth of payments from the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to Scottish farmers and crofters this year. In the next few weeks those who have still to receive anything, are expected to get around 80 per cent of what they are due.

A spokesman for NFU Scotland said: “The Scottish Government said that if any farmer got to the end of March and had still not received any payment, they would receive support from a national pot of around £200m without their forms being processed officially. That should happen in the next few weeks.”

He said this would come from the Scottish Government’s own pot and not from Europe.

“By the end of March just under two thirds had received some payments from Europe but that didn’t represent the two thirds of the total £400m European funding which was supposed to be paid out in Scotland,” he said.

There had been fears that the impact on individual farmers might be felt at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston near Edinburgh Airport, from June 23-26.

But Stephen Hutt CEO of show organisers, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, said: “The current challenges facing the agricultural sector with regards to CAP payments is very much on our minds. We have hosted debates on the issues that the sector faces as well as supporting the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (a charity helping those who work on the land) as they support the individuals who may find things too much to handle on their own.

“In a general sense, we are mindful of the challenges that the agricultural sector faces and that was very much part of our decision to maintain the fees and rentals at the Royal Highland Show for a third year. Current levels of competition entries and trade stand applications are very much in line with last year.”