So, farewell then, CAP millions?

DOUGLAS SHEPHERD on the impact EU payments have had on the Scottish Borders economy.

Farm businesses and organisations as diverse as a mountain rescue team and a stunt equestrian outfit  have been supported by European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments which have been worth more than £120 million to the Borders economy over the past two years.

The 2019 round of CAP cheques will represent the last batch of EU payments if, as promised by Prime Minister Johnson, the United Kingdom ends its rocky relationship with the European institutions - "deal or no deal" - at the end of October.

Several hundred family farms together with a number of charitable organisations will be among Borders-based CAP recipients who will be hoping and praying Mr Johnson's Government plugs the multi-million pound income gap once the Brexiteers finally get their way,

The statistics do not lie. In 2017 1,176 addresses with a TD or EH45 postcode received a total of £61.1 million. The figures for 2018 were remarkably similar - 1,164 CAP recipients getting £61.5 million between them.

Sums of money disbursed from the Brussels coffers range from a few hundred pounds to unnamed micro businesses right up to the £597,346 (2017) and £550,518 (2018) which went to Floors Farming, near Kelso.

Scottish Borders Council has also been a beneficiary, principally for Leader local development projects - £112,800 in 2018 and £72,310 in the previous year.

The Southern Uplands Partnership was able to obtain £28,000 to help with its work while the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team's dedicated volunteers secured £15,900.

Development of forestry planting by the Borders Forest Trust was assisted by the CAP - £55,000 in 2017 and £121,320 last year. Meanwhile Les Amis D'onno, a stunt riding team based at Lanton, near Jedburgh had £9,244 in 2018 under the Leader category.

It will be interesting to see whether lost payments like those outlined above will be made good (as promised) by Westminster in the wake of Brexit.

If the level of funding is not matched in future then a good number of Borders business and organisations will suffer financially, some losing six-figure amounts they are currently handed via the CAP.

These are the numbers for each postcode area of the Borders in 2017 and 2018:

TD1 (Galashiels) - 2018 £3.708 million to 57 recipients; 2017 £3.877 million (53).

TD2 (Lauder) - £2.248 million (45); £2.445 million (54).

TD3 (Gordon) - £2.063 million (19); £2.171 million (21).

TD4 (Earlston) - £1.81 million (26); £1.37 million (23).

TD5 (Kelso) - £9.921 million (162); £9.328 million (162).

TD6 (Melrose) - £2.723 million (59); £2.626 million (62).

TD7 (Selkirk) - £3.938 million (76); £4.103 million (82).

TD8 (Jedburgh) - £4.413 million (85); £4.391 million (85).

TD9 (Hawick) - £7.228 million (168); £7.574 million (168).

TD10 (Duns) - £2.112 million (44); £1.798 million (37).

TD11 (Duns) - £8.525 million (137); £8.585 million (133).

TD12 (Coldstream) - £0.786 million (16); £0.851 million (18).

TD13 (Cockburnspath) - £0.937 million (16); £0.723 million (17).

TD14 (Eyemouth) - £1.972 million (54); £1.903 million (53).

TD15 (Berwick) - £7.571 million (151); £7.758 million (159).

EH45 (Peebles) - £2.544 million (49); £2.766 million (49).