Industry expresses alarm at payment problems

Following a meeting with Lord Bach today the NFU, the CLA and the TFA said they were very alarmed at the state of play on the Single Farm Payment (SFP).

The three organisations stressed the very real concerns and distress of the farming and wider rural community at the totally unsatisfactory situation and emphasised the extreme urgency of getting payments out to their members. They also asked for a further delay in pre movement testing of livestock which is due to take effect next week and which is bound to inflame an already difficult position for many farmers.

Lord Bach stressed that he was anxious to work together with the three organisations to find solutions but could give no further commitments or deadlines. He invited the three organisations to a meeting in a week’s time at which the new Chief Executive of the RPA would report on the impact of changes that he had already made and make proposals for further measures to speed up the process.

The three organisations said that if at this meeting there was no meaningful progress they would have to demand more radical solutions.

They made various suggestions including payments on account of un- validated claims and changes to derogations on the application window for the 2006 process.