THE “vast majority” of Scotland’s farmers were expected to receive their European subsidy payments by last night’s midnight deadline.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said he expected about 90 per cent of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to have been completed.

Ministers have applied to the European Commission for an extension to the deadline which is currently under consideration. Ewing said the Scottish Government did all it could yesterday to ensure as many farmers as possible received their payment on time. It is the second year in a row that the Scottish Government has been forced to seek such an extension after the introduction of a new £178 million IT system caused delays.

A European Commission source said: “The Commission is in contact with the Scottish Government and is continuing to consider the case made for an extension in the CAP payment deadline. We understand there was a significant acceleration of payments last year and this week, and we wait to see what the execution rate is at the end of the day.”

Ewing said: “We have made a clear commitment to do all we can to make the payments by the end of today and we are doing all we can to deliver as many payments as possible.

“Although it is not possible at this stage to guarantee precisely the level of payments that will be made, the latest figures are showing that we have made progress.

“At of close of business last night, we made BPS [basic payment scheme], greening and young farmer payments valued at £331m to 15,991 farmers and crofters. This represents around 87.3 per cent of expected total payments for those schemes. It’s important to recognise that, through the national loan scheme and payments made to date, the vast majority of farmers and crofters have received their money.”

Ewing added: “We recognise that while we are making progress, we still need to do better.

“Our priority remains completing payments for farmers and crofters as quickly as possible in the coming weeks, and officials are working incredibly hard to do just that –and will continue to do so beyond today to make as many outstanding payments as quickly as possible.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat rural spokesman Mike Rumbles said: “The shambolic incompetence of this Scottish Government is making life hell for farmers.

“The Cabinet Secretary couldn’t make a worse mess of this if he was out running through fields of wheat. Our rural economy remains tens of millions of pounds out of pocket.

“Ewing should be spending this summer touring rural areas apologising to all of those farmers who have had to wait for months. The summer recess will give Nicola Sturgeon time to consider whether she still has faith in her Minister to deliver for our rural economy.”