It has been revealed that the Perth office of the Rural Payments and Inspections division has the highest number of outstanding CAP payments due to farmers in Scotland.
Ninety-two farmers using the Perth office are still waiting on either part or whole subsidy payments, with just over 700 due funding across the rest of Scotland.
Last week, Fergus Ewing admitted that there were ongoing issues with the IT system as he announced a new loan scheme which will allow farmers to apply for up to 80% of their 2016 CAP payments with a view to payment in November.
News that more Perth farmers are waiting on payments than anywhere else follows statistics showing Scottish farmers are at their most indebted with bank debt now totalling £2.2 billion.
Commenting Liz Smith said:
“Farming is central to the Perth and Kinross economy and it is very disappointing to learn that more farmers in this region, alongside the Scottish Borders, are waiting on subsidy payments compared to anywhere else in the country.
“Although this number represents just 3.6% of all eligible applicants, we must remember that these funds were originally due in the spring, not the autumn.
“Farm debt is at record levels across Scotland and the failure to pay subsidies on time has undoubtedly contributed to and exacerbated the problem.
“The Scottish Government must work harder to ensure the disaster of 2016 is not repeated next year and that starts by fulfilling outstanding payments to farmers in Perth and Kinross.”