Pledge on business structure changes

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) this week pledged it would turn around any changes to business structure details within five working days by introducing a dedicated team and a new process.

The move comes in advance of proposed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms which could see many farmers reviewing their business structures.

In line with the promises made in RPA’s Five Year Plan, the new process will set out clear deadlines and provide consistent, proficient results for farmers, landowners and agents.

Customer director Justin Chamberlain said: “A dedicated customer registration team and a new process will speed up the service for our customers significantly.

“We will review and alert farmers to what is missing from their business structure request so that, once they have provided all the details, we can swiftly action the change.

“We are encouraging our customers to provide us with the correct information from the start, just as you might expect when applying for a passport or bank account.”

The news comes in the same week that the RPA announced that this year farmers will see the value of the Single Farm Payments drop by nearly eight per cent owing to fluctuations of sterling against the euro.

The rate is set against the European Central Bank official rate and represents a 7.92 per cent decrease on 2011.

It is the lowest rate since 2008.

The National Farmers Union’s senior SPS adviser Richard Wordsworth said the reduced rate would present challenges for many producers reeling from a challenging year for farming.