Whole farm approach scheme does not help all farmers

New web-based scheme to reduce red tape for farmers no help for unconnected rural areas

This week, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched a web-based scheme called "The Whole Farm Approach" which it claims could save the farming industry up to £28million a year, by cutting red tape and delivering a quicker, simpler and more efficient way of doing business. Business support organization Sussex Enterprise believes that this claims is overly optimistic and that the scheme will in fact deliver relatively few benefits to farmers in Sussex.

The Whole Farm Approach is to be rolled out from Autumn 2005 with a major release planned in the first quarter of 2006. The system is intended to provide a single method for farmers to access Defra and other national and local government departments relevant to the farming community. Farmers could then access Government information currently held in different databases from one website, for example animal records, administration information, land designations.

John Evans, Farm Business Advisor for Sussex Enterprise said, "The scheme as it stands is little more than a back-office tidying up exercise. Although it is always useful to have one single point of contact for advice and guidance, having a web-based system will not benefit all farmers as many rural areas do not have reliable internet connections. I am extremely concerned that Defra states that no paper copies of the scheme will be available. Surely there should be some concessions made for those who are not computer literate?"

"Defra claim that the website will reduce farmers' admin time by up to 15 hours a year," continues John Evans. "This is a mere drop in the ocean compared to what needs to be done. All aspects of farming are governed by extremely complex legislative and administrative procedures for the good of consumers and animals alike. Filling in the wrong box on a form can prove to be disastrous for the business, so I doubt that many farmers will have the confidence in their own abilities to do anything without seeking official confirmation first. Until the farming bureaucracy is easier to understand, the Whole Farm Approach website will be little more than a very useful on-line library."