PAYMENTS from a rural loan scheme designed to help vulnerable farmers and crofters in Scotland have started.
More than 7,400 payments worth more than £45 million have been processed and will be paid this week. Further payments are likely to follow as a total of 11,000 letters have been issued offering eligible businesses the opportunity to benefit from the 2016 National Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS).
These loan payments will be automatically deducted from EU payments once LFASS 2016 applications are processed. Further payment runs will be made in the coming weeks.