Union welcomes the opening of suckler scheme payments
Payments under the Scottish suckler beef support scheme (SSBSS) for producers breeding beef calves from suckler cows are due to start shortly it was announced yesterday, meaning producers will get their share of the £40 million pot a month earlier than last year.
The estimated 7,000 producers will receive €110.80 (£98.92) per animal for SSBSS mainland and €161.60 per animal for SSBSS island as part of their 2018 pillar 1 coupled payments.
NFU Scotland welcomed the move, stating that it came at a time when the Scottish beef sector was facing the combined challenges of poor market returns and ongoing political uncertainty.
“The Scottish suckler herd form the basis of a high-quality beef production system which supports rural communities, providing jobs and oppor
tunities in these areas,” said union livestock policy manager John Armour.
Announcing that payments would begin soon, rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing said that suckler herds formed the backbone of quality beef production in Scotland:
“These payments will aid farmer’s cash flow, providing a welcome boost to the rural economy while also helping to support farmers who are producing the quality meat products that Scotland is globally
renowned for,” he said. “With further payments being made in the coming weeks, I am confident that the majority of awards will be made by the end of the payment window.
He added that with Brexit continuing to present the biggest threat to the industry, the Scottish Government continued to work with others to further extend Article 50 to avoid a “catastrophic” no-deal outcome and allow time for a second referendum on EU membership.