Farm leaders repeat calls for early BPS payments

Farm leaders have repeated calls for enough resources to be put in place to ensure Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) cash starts reaching farmers from 1 December.

The deadline for submitting an application without penalty closed on Monday (15 June) in both England and Scotland.

The RPA had received 84,500 forms by midnight of 15 June, but that figures will rise once last-minute deliveries to drop-in centres are also counted.

This suggests that the vast majority of farmers in England got their forms in on time. 

See also: Read more stories on the Basic Payment Scheme

NFU vice-president Guy Smith admitted that in May the union had significant reservations about application progress, but since then things had got back on track.

There were no reports of a last minute panic at any of the drop-in centres, which had kept waiting times to a minimum by running extended opening hours.

“With farm cashflows heading into troubled waters, many farmers will need to see BPS payments hit bank accounts early to keep their businesses afloat.”
Guy Smith, NFU

“However, we are conscious a month has been lost this year in the BPS cycle so we call on government to make sure the RPA has the resource necessary to ensure they have every chance of commencing payment by December 1.

“With farm cashflows heading into troubled waters, many farmers will need to see BPS payments hit bank accounts early to keep their businesses afloat.”

The government’s line is that payments will start from December and the vast majority will be made by the end of January.

Mr Smith said he accepted that this was the goal, but he wanted assurances that if the target started to slip there was a plan B for partial payments around Christmas.

In Scotland, an estimated 20,711 Single Application Forms (SAF) had arrived by midnight.

Of these 13,434 were submitted online and the rest were submitted on paper.

Rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead said: “We have seen a steady stream of applications come in over the last few days of the SAF window, with about 2,000 on the final day.

“The priority now for the Scottish government is to begin processing the applications and carrying out the necessary checks so we can make payments as early as possible in the payment window, which is set in legislation by Europe.”

Farmers in both England and Scotland who are yet to submit an application can do so until 10 July, although late claim penalties of 1% per working day will apply.