Mapping changes cause support payment confusion
Just as the window for making 2019 farm support claims opened this week, farmers found themselves puzzling over the notification of either deductions or payments dating back to their 2015 claims.
The explanation to the convoluted calculations received by an estimated 3,500 producers lies in a remapping exercise which has been carried out by the Scottish Government in order to comply with EU regulations.
“We are now maintaining land data on our new Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) and we have cleansed the data including using the most up-todate aerial photography and information available to us,” said a spokesman.
“We are currently reviewing 2015, 2016 and 2017 payments and payment rates applied in relation to entitlements for Basic Payment, Greening and Young Farmer schemes (BPS). We will be returning to the National Reserve the value of any BPS entitlements unused for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017).”
He said the changes would result in some marginal alterations for a proportion of customers:
“These customers will receive either a small topup payment from March before the 2018 scheme payments begin–or if there is a marginal debt this will be factored into the calculation of 2018 scheme payments.”
He said that information outlining how the alterations had been calculated would be included in payment letters which would be appearing in customer online communication logs – with the top-up payments likely to be received eight to nine days later.
NFU Scotland’s CAP policy manager, Jenny Brunton said that the Scottish Government had undergone substantial work to update land data through their new mapping system, the LPIS, and new maps were in the process of being issued.
“Scottish Government are required to validate and review all 2015, 2016 and 2017 payments applied in relation to entitlements for BPS using the most upto-date aerial photography and information.”
She said that while it appeared that there was still substantial work to be done, the Scottish Government hoped to see the new system being fully functional during the summer.