Plaid urges government to extend CAP deadline

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Agriculture Minister, Llyr Gruffydd has urged the Welsh Government to reconsider their decision not to extend the deadline for submission of CAP Basic Payment Scheme applications to prevent potential financial penalties.

Farmers must complete their application forms by the 15th of May but the process is much more complex under the new CAP regime with new forms and the requirement for new and additional information.

The complexity of the process and the time-pressure has been recognised by the European Commission who have now allowed administrations across the EU to extend the deadline for completion of the forms by a month.

England and others have taken advantage of this, citing the need to get the forms correct now to avoid huge losses to their farmers and complications for administrators later on. The Welsh Government announced last month it would not extend the deadline in Wales.

Plaid Cymru's Shadow Agriculture Minister, Llyr Gruffydd AM said: “It’s clear that the new application process is causing huge problems and that many farmers are struggling to complete their forms on time.

"The FUW recently described it as the most complicated form filling exercise ever undertaken in Wales. Without an extension it is now becoming evident that the resources aren’t there to support many of those farmers who have not yet submitted their forms.

“The consequences of not getting the form in on time or of submitting a form incorrectly will carry serious repercussions. Loss of income and the incurring of penalties could be devastating for many farm businesses.

“I understand the implications of later payments during the payment window if the application forms are submitted later but surely it’s more important that we get them done correctly rather than getting them done quickly. The consequences of getting this wrong are too serious to risk.

“These applications will establish the level of entitlement of payment to Welsh farmers for years to come. Surely getting it right must be a priority.”