Cross compliance failures leave 10% of farmers facing fines
One in 10 farmers face automatic cuts to their single farm payment for failing to properly prepare for cross-compliance inspections.
About 10% of farmers have been found to be in breach of cross-compliance rules by failing to have their soil protection review booklets ready for inspection.
The breach results in an automatic 5% fine from farmers’ SFP cheques.
Under European Union rules, 1% of farmers have to be inspected each year under cross-compliance rules.
Of the inspections carried out so far, a “significant number” had failed to have all the necessary paperwork available, Hugh Martineau, cross-compliance advice programme manager, said.
The majority of errors related to the 2009 soil protection review.
To comply with the regulations in 2010, farmers need to:• Keep the old version of their soil protection review. The original review (and the 2009 continuation sheet) is still being inspected this year if you claimed in 2009 or any earlier years |
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Mr Martineau said he believed the errors occurred because farmers were not sure which years’ reviews they had to retain.
“The original reviews covered 2007 and 2008,” he said. “An additional sheet was sent out in 2009, which covered the period up to 31 December 2010. That is the review inspectors want to see.
“A 2010 replacement sheet was sent out in December last year and that needs to be completed by 31 December 2010.”
Mr Martineau said farmers should have already filled in the 2009 review, but if they had lost it or thrown it away, one could be filled in retrospectively.
“There aren’t any hard copies of the 2009 form left, but farmers can download one from the cross-compliance website.
“It’s a pretty straightforward thing to do and it’s a standard part of cross-compliance. It won’t take hours to fill in and it will save farmers being fined.”
The Rural Payments Agency said farmers should retain the 2006-2008 review, plus the 2009 continuation sheet, until 31 December 2010.
To download a 2009 review and for more information on cross compliance, go to www.crosscompliance.org.uk. If you have questions about completing the review, call 0845 345 1302