This week, the Auditor General for Scotland estimated that the cost of implementing the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in Scotland has increased considerably.
Given the complexity of the reforms we are having to deal with, this should come as no surprise.
We have always known that this new CAP would be radically different from the old policy, with the move to area-based payments required by Europe.
We have been preparing for this change for a long time, developing a new IT system Rural Payments and Services to replace the old website which would enable us to cope with the new policy. Our original cost estimates were also based on the much simpler CAP that we were promised by Europe. This has not materialised.
Instead, we are having to deal with extremely complex European reforms that were agreed very late in the day, as well as the decisions we have taken here in Scotland in partnership with our stakeholders.
Be in no doubt: my absolute priority is getting it implemented and ensuring farmers and crofters get paid.
The Scottish Government is doing everything in our power to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and that includes making sure that we are putting the right level of resource into the programme, which will deliver almost £4 billion of support to our farming, food and rural sectors over the next five years alone but will last much longer than that.
But even though the latest cost estimate represents around 4% of the payments expected to be issued in this CAP period, £178 million is a lot of money by anyone’s standard.
I have long argued that the money needed to administer the complex new CAP could better spent on more worthwhile things, like new entrants.
And Scotland is not alone in facing these implementation challenges they are affecting countries elsewhere in UK and Europe, with 15 other member states also accepting the flexibility offered to extend the SAF deadline.
Reform is clearly needed. The CAP must be simpler and more streamlined with food production at its core.
In the meantime, my focus is firmly on the SAF window, which I have extended until June 15 in response to concerns raised by farmers and crofters about the complexity of the new system.
However, I am aware of the ongoing issues with the Rural Payments and Services website and would like to assure your readers that the Scottish Government has a team that is constantly monitoring the system and working to sort any issues that arise.