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Green light for farm aid payments | Green light for farm aid payments |
(10 minutes later) | |
Scottish sheep farmers have been told they will get a £19m funding package to cope with losses incurred during the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak. | Scottish sheep farmers have been told they will get a £19m funding package to cope with losses incurred during the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak. |
The news follows a new ruling by the European Commission which had requested more information on the scheme. | The news follows a new ruling by the European Commission which had requested more information on the scheme. |
Scottish Government officials said they would now be able to make the payments. | |
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said the scheme could start when the European Commission published it on its website. | |
Last month, Mr Lochhead announced a £25m aid package to compensate farmers for the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in England. | Last month, Mr Lochhead announced a £25m aid package to compensate farmers for the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in England. |
At £19m, the Scottish Ewes Scheme formed the largest part of that. | At £19m, the Scottish Ewes Scheme formed the largest part of that. |
The minister had said the payments could not go ahead until the EC had officially published details of the scheme. | The minister had said the payments could not go ahead until the EC had officially published details of the scheme. |
Following the EC's decision, Mr Lochhead said: "Our farmers and crofters have been very badly hit by a crisis not of their making, the outbreaks of foot and mouth in the south of England. | Following the EC's decision, Mr Lochhead said: "Our farmers and crofters have been very badly hit by a crisis not of their making, the outbreaks of foot and mouth in the south of England. |
"We are pleased that the European Commission, once it had received the additional information requested from us, acted very quickly in agreeing to publish the scheme. | "We are pleased that the European Commission, once it had received the additional information requested from us, acted very quickly in agreeing to publish the scheme. |
"We pressed hard for this and managed to persuade them of our case. This should allow us to make payments within the next week or so." | "We pressed hard for this and managed to persuade them of our case. This should allow us to make payments within the next week or so." |
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