Businesses urged to apply for loans

With just over a week to go before replies have to be in, Scotland’s farmers are being urged to respond to the offer of an up-front loan on their farm support payments.

And those who have not yet received an offer for the Scottish Government loan – which is designed to ease cash flow problems caused by the C ovid -19 pandemic and the upcoming uncertainties of Brexit – have been advised to contact their local department offices.

With letters offering access to the 2020 BPS loan scheme going out at the beginning of this month, NFU Scotland yesterday said that around 70 per cent had replied accepting the offer – but added it was also aware of a small number of cases where businesses that would have expected to receive a loan letter had not received one.

“The announcement that the vast majority of Scotland’s farmers and crofters can access up 95 per cent of their BPS and Greening payments from September this year will add certainty and stability across Scottish agriculture and the wider rural community at a time of great change,” saidNFU Scotland President Andrew Mccornick.

He said that while the return rate was high the scheme offered some certainty and he wanted to remind anyone yet to respond that the scheme had to be opted into by 4 September to ensure the best chance of being included in the first run of payments:

“This year, as we recover from Covid-19, the scheme will also provide muchneeded cash flow ahead of an unknown winter that will undoubtedly be dominated by Brexit.”