Payments promise ‘too little, too late’
UK - Single Payments will not start in England until mid-February and even then the vast majority of farmers will receive only a 50 per cent part payment.
10 November 2006
2 minute read
While an improvement on last year when most farmers did not receive anything until May, the position outlined by Defra Secretary David Miliband, on Tuesday, was condemned as ‘too little, too late’ by industry leaders.
Mr Miliband has set the Rural Payments Agency a target of paying 96 per cent of the money by June 30. But even achieving this, which is the EU legal target and only fractionally more than was paid by June 30 this year, will be ‘challenging’, he admitted.
Full payments will be made in February where claims have been validated. But in the majority of cases farmers will receive part payments of ‘not less than 50 per cent’.
The RPA estimates the part payment process, which will apply only to claims of over €1,000, will take about three weeks to complete. As was the case this year, top-up payments will be made when claims have been validated.
Source: Farmers Guardian
Mr Miliband has set the Rural Payments Agency a target of paying 96 per cent of the money by June 30. But even achieving this, which is the EU legal target and only fractionally more than was paid by June 30 this year, will be ‘challenging’, he admitted.
Full payments will be made in February where claims have been validated. But in the majority of cases farmers will receive part payments of ‘not less than 50 per cent’.
The RPA estimates the part payment process, which will apply only to claims of over €1,000, will take about three weeks to complete. As was the case this year, top-up payments will be made when claims have been validated.
Source: Farmers Guardian
