MSPs will take evidence on Common Agricultural Payments delays from Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing, 

Mr Ewing will be accompanied by the Scottish government's Chief Agricultural Officer David Barnes and Jonathan Pryce, the director of agriculture, food and rural communities.

During his statement last week Mr Ewing said the government is close to completing payments for 2015 but it is not quite there yet.

The rural economy minister said the key is to complete the vast majority of payments by mid-October.

Image source, Getty Images

He says he is looking to put next year's payments on an even keel.

The minister says the government has accepted Audit Scotland's recommendations, external in full.

He accepts there are lessons to be learned and he will do just that. 

A new loan scheme is to be offered to Scottish farmers to prevent a repeat of the problems caused by delays to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments.

It was announced by Rural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing last week, and he admitted that the IT system largely responsible for the delays was "not there yet".

Mr Ewing said next year's payments were therefore "not-risk free".

Image source, Getty Images

But he said farmers and crofters would be able to apply for a loan worth 80% of their total entitlement.

Farming union NFU Scotland welcomed the new scheme, which it said would give clarity and certainty to farmers.

But opposition parties claimed the scheme was an admission that problems with the CAP payment system may not yet have been resolved.

The committee will now take evidence on CAP payments delays.

The committee approves the  Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 (draft), external.

SNP MSP Richard Lyle suggests that multiple tags on a cow are not necessary.

Committee convener and Conservative MSP Edward Mountain says a cow may have a number of tags and will look like someone wearing a number of earrings on a Saturday night.

Mr Palmer agrees it would be better if the number of tags could be used could be minimised.

The Scottish government official says they will look towards streamlining ear tagging.

Scottish Conservative MSP Peter Champman, who has farming interests in Aberdeenshire, says he has used tags and asks about the process of tagging for genetic analysis.

Mr Palmer says if a tag comes loose from a calve then the government can advise farmers about what best to do.

This will be dealt with on a case to case basis he says.

He says there is no payment required from the farmer for the tags, everything will be done by the lab.

Mr Chapman says tags get lost a lot and calls for a pragmatic approach.

Mr Ewing addresses the pungent issue of cow methane emissions and says healthy stock tend to emit less methane. 

Mike Palmer from the Scottish government says the scheme will allow more efficient farming practices and the reduction of methane emissions.

Committee convener Edward Mountain asks if any other methods were considered, like hair analysis, or was it just ear tags that were considered.

Mr Ewing says the alternatives considered were taking hair, which had cleanliness implications or nasal samples.

Mr Andrew Voas, the veterinary adviser, from the Scottish government says the other methods were nasal sampling, blood samples or hair samples.

He says there are problems with the non-invasive hair sampling, mainly of hygiene and contamination.

Mr Ewing says the scope of the current exemption will be extended for genetic tagging.

He says the Scottish government is keen to gain approval from the parliament before 8 October.

The minister says the ear tagging of bovine animals is the sole part of the extension.

Mr Ewing says a short targeted consultation was carried out.

He says ear tagging causes momentary pain and discomfort but there are rarely any long term implications.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing says the instrument will amend the current legislation to allow for the operation of the Beef Efficiency Scheme.

The scheme has broad sector support and aims to improve breeding stock decrease carbon emissions, with £45m investment in the beef sector.

He says the scheme introduces issue tagging of 20% of calves for genetic testing.

This will help improve cattle, genetics and management of farms.

First up the committee will take evidence on the Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 (draft), external from Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing and Mike Palmer and Andrew Voas from the Scottish government.

Image source, Getty Images

The proposed amendment to the regulations would allow the ear tagging of bovine animals for the purpose of genetic analysis.

Ear tagging is already permitted for the purposes of identification and the screening or routine or random testing of those animals for disease.  

First up we have live coverage of the Rural Affairs Committee from 09:00.

The committee will begin by taking evidence on the Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 (draft) from Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing and Mike Palmer and Andrew Voas from the Scottish government.

Image source, AFP

MSPs will then take evidence on CAP payment delays from Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government's Chief Agricultural Officer David Barnes and Jonathan Pryce, the director of agriculture, food and rural communities, from the Scottish government.  

Image source, Thinkstock

Finally the committee will then hear from Phil Verster from the Scotrail Alliance and from Karl Budge from Network Rail.

Good morning and welcome to Holyrood Live's coverage of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 21 September 2016.

This morning we bring you coverage from the Rural Affairs Committee as Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing gives evidence on CAP payment failures.

Image source, Reuters / Thinkstock / BBC

First up in the chamber this afternoon is portfolio questions which will see justice, culture, tourism and external affairs ministers quizzed by MSPs.

The Scottish Conservatives will then lead a debate on the health service staffing levels.

After decision time, SNP MSP Graeme Dey will lead this evening's members debate entitled "Promoting Good Food from Angus".