Around 30% of the Beef Efficiency Scheme (BES) participants have failed to meet the deadline to submit calving data, Farmers Journal Scotland understands. Approximately 1,200 farmers submitted 100% of the data by the 15 July deadline. A letter has been issued to those who have outstanding data, some of whom have not entered any data at all yet.
Around 30% of the Beef Efficiency Scheme (BES) participants have failed to meet the deadline to submit calving data, Farmers Journal Scotland understands.
Approximately 1,200 farmers submitted 100% of the data by the 15 July deadline. A letter has been issued to those who have outstanding data, some of whom have not entered any data at all yet.
Cabinet secretary Fergus Ewing has previously said that payments under the scheme will be issued in autumn of this year. However, it is unclear what penalties will be incurred for late submission of data.
“There are no direct consequences, but failure to meet the deadline has an impact on the next stages of the scheme, including potential reductions being applied to customers of the 2017 scheme payment and delaying customer receipt of tags by the end of September,” a spokesperson for the Department said.
While Ewing requested that there be no penalty imposition in the first year of the scheme, the spokesperson stated that it is not possible to waive all penalties, as this would be in breach of EU rules.
“We have offered maximum flexibility with regard to the scheme, but unfortunately those who missed later deadlines received warning letters and will have penalties applied if they failed to meet the deadline in the warning letter,” the spokesperson said.
It is presumed that a number of farmers who have not entered any data do not intend to continue with the scheme.
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