Just as everyone had consigned the idea of coupled payments for the sheep sector to the CAP dust bin, it seems that there may still be life in the idea.
EU Farm Commissioner Dacian Ciolos said in February that 5% of the Scottish budget could be used for coupling beyond the 8% already allocated to the beef sector.
Last week he performed a spectacular U-turn, saying the rules would not allow it.
Now it appears he has once again opened up the possibility and agreed that his European Commission department should work with Scotland to seek a resolution on the issue.
Apparently Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead spoke on the phone yesterday with Commissioner Ciolos to voice concern at last week’s U-turn, and received assurances from the Commissioner that he understands the frustration at the situation and has asked his officials to continue to look for a solution.
Scottish and European officials are now to hold discussions next week, and Mr Lochhead will also have a face-to-face meeting with the Commissioner shortly thereafter.
Mr Lochhead said: “I spoke to Commissioner Ciolos on the phone today and expressed my, and Scotland’s, profound displeasure and disappointment at what has happened.
“I have received assurances there will be further meetings to see whether anything can be salvaged from this unacceptable situation that we find ourselves in.
“In the meantime, we need the UK Government to step in and help Scotland to get this situation sorted.
“Given Defra’s pledge to allow us flexibility on coupled support as an apparent concession for not giving Scotland its £190 million convergence budget uplift, I fully expect them to give us their complete backing in finding a solution to this.
“Indeed, the Commission made it clear UK ministers negotiated the constraints we now find ourselves bound by, and we need their support to get us out of it.
“I wrote to Defra Secretary of State Owen Paterson and Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael last week asking them to follow through their coupled support pledge and revisit the indefensible decision to withhold the full convergence uplift from Scotland.
“However, I have yet to receive any reply.
“The end result of the double whammy of convergence and coupled support means that, as it stands, over a quarter of a billion pounds cannot be directly targeted at priority areas of Scottish agriculture.
“That is completely unacceptable.
“It’s quite clear that Scottish farmers need clarity on the shape of the new CAP sooner rather than later, and this delay is not helping,” he said.
“One way or another we will be sticking to our timetable for decision-making on CAP implementation, so time is running out.”
Everyone will agree on the last point.
Time is running out. Only yesterday at Dunblane, SAAVA president James Dick said: “What we desperately need now is clear and unambiguous guidance from Scottish Government.”