Appeal to Minister over farmers still waiting for payments

THE country's leading farming organisation claims some the country's most vulnerable farmers are still waiting on vital subsidy cheques.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) is to write to both Hilary Benn, Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Rural Payments Agency expressing its concerns over Single Farm Payment cheques for 2009.

Some 3,000 upland farmers are still awaiting payment as the result of changes to the Moorland Line, land classified as being rocky and used for rough grazing. Others still awaiting their money include farmers with previous problems regarding payment.

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NFU Single payment scheme adviser Richard Wordsworth said: "The NFU is raising a number of issues with the Minister concerning delivery of the 2009 SPS payments.

"This includes work being carried out to adjust entitlements along the Moorland Line and those who were inspected in 2009. This also includes the impact of mapping on these two issues."

According to the NFU payment progress has slowed dramatically following a promising start to the process when some 1.3bn was paid out to farmers in just two days. Now, the NFU said, some 16,000 farmers are still waiting to be paid.

It has also expressed concerns regarding the amount of time the RPA is taking to handle an EU court directive concerning potatoes and vegetables.

Producer organisations have had their payments suspended following a judgment concerning the sharing of facilities.