The Scottish Government has launched a new online service for rural funding and payments.

The portal, called Rural Payments and Services, has replaced the old Rural Payments Online system.

The aim is the deliver nearly £4 billion of support to the country’s farming, food and rural sectors over the next five years.

What is covered?

The new service covers a number of areas including:

• the Basic Payment Scheme,
• funding for broadband,
• the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme
• grants for people wanting to enter farming for the first time
• the National Reserve

New CAP, new system

The move follows the introduction of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which came into effect on January 1.

The CAP is the system of subsidies and programmes for farming, environmental measures and rural development. The reforms have allowed spending to be kept at their current levels until 2020.

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead says the new CAP is radically different so the Scottish Government needed a new online system.

Easier and clearer

The main aim of The Rural Payments and Services is to make submitting an application or claim clearer, simpler and smarter.

Farmer and crofters across Scotland have been written to informing them that they can now register.

Mr Lochhead claims that by having all the applications, claim forms, guidance, and map and boundary information in one place the new site should save farmers and crofters time, hassle and paperwork.

He is now encouraging as many people as possible to sign up to the new system, but has recognised that it may not be suitable for everyone.

Mary Munro, Senior Farming Consultant in Scotland for Strutt & Parker says: "It is necessary for all farm businesses that were previously registered with Rural Payments Online to reregister using the new system.

“In addition, businesses that use an agent will need to go through the new registration process in order to grant the agent authorisation. More information about the business is required than in the past; this is to improve security. Agents will have re-register as well.

“There are many advantages to online applications, particularly with SAF where the risk of human error is greatly reduced."