Loan scheme for remote rural areas confirmed.
Loans have been offered to hill and upland farmers and crofters to provide them with financial support and certainty in the New Year.
Under the national Less Favoured Areas Support Loan Scheme (LFASS) 2019, eligible farmers and crofters will be offered up to 95% of their Common Agricultural Policy LFASS payment from January.
A similar scheme in 2018 delivered payments worth more than £52 million to more than 8,400 hill farmers and crofters.
Background
Loan offers will issue in batches when claim eligibility can be confirmed. The initial batch of loan offers will be made to more than 10,000 farmers and crofters, and the Scottish Government will continue to make additional loan offers as claim eligibility is confirmed.
LFASS loan payments will be made from mid-January to anyone who returns their loan offer acceptance by 17 January 2020.
The loan scheme has been designed so the sum paid is less than the amount due from CAP LFASS 2019. The sum will be automatically deducted from the LFASS payment when it is fully processed and they will receive the balance payment.
