Scots must check SAS details

GROWERS IN Scotland must check their Single Farm Payment application packs now due to errors on pre-printed forms, National Farmers Union Scotland has warned.

The errors on Field Data Sheets mean that some fields which growers believe are eligible for set-aside are shown as having no eligible area for that purpose, said NFUS combinable crops chairman, David Houghton.

“This may be correct but the Scottish Executive has reported to us that errors have been made in the transfer of information to the sheets so that some eligible fields are wrongly shown as not being eligible.”

Anyone who believes their forms are wrong should contact their local SEERAD office immediately to allow time for the errors to be checked and rectified, he said.

“We don‘t know what the scale of the problem is, but with many growers involved with spring planting, there is a danger forms won‘t get looked at until it‘s too late,” added NFUS policy director, Scott Walker.

“Farmers should check forms now, rather than leaving it until close to the submission date [May 16].”

If packs are not checked until it‘s too late, growers could put their entire SFP at risk, possibly permanently, Mr Houghton said.

The NFU is unaware of any such problems in England, a representative said.

For guidance on completing SFP forms, see the Business section of next Friday‘s (April 15) FARMERS WEEKLY magazine.