Rude awakening

Contrary to claims by Martin Redfern (Letters, 4 July), the Scottish government’s farming IT system is not a replica of England’s as the Scottish NFU demanded changes which some warned at the time would cause delays.

By 2015 the UK Government had incurred fines of £642 million from the European Commission for the way it managed EU farming payments, including late payments, so their IT system wasn’t perfect.

More importantly, CAP reform has often turned into a subsidy for land ownership and nothing to do with agricultural activity or production. Also, some unscrupulous landlords are preventing unsecured tenants from claiming CAP and retaining the funding for themselves thus adding to the number of “slipper farmers”.

The main subsidy, the single farm payment, is doled out by the hectare. The more land you own or rent, the more money you receive. There is a cap on welfare benefits for the poorest in society but the UK Government campaigned in Luxembourg to maintain unlimited funding for millionaire farmers and other wealthy landowners.

After Brexit few believe that the UK government would support farm payments to the extent of the CAP and no guarantees have been given. In addition to future financial support, issues such as access to European markets and under what terms, also opening the door to cheap, often inferior, foreign food imports, will come as a rude awaking to those farmers who voted to leave the EU.

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh