Farmers given seven days to clear up map gaps

Eight thousand farmers have been sent letters by the Rural Payments Agency asking for maps of certain fields within the next seven days.

The letter tells the farmers that they have identified land parcels on their single farm payment claim which do not appear on the Rural Land Register and are not part of a separate IACS 22 application.

“In order to complete the validation of your claim we have to first digitise this land and to do this we need you to provide a map indicating the location of the fields detailed,” it says.

“The boundaries of each field must be clearly marked using a fine-tipped coloured pen.

“You may find that a current ordnance survey map, which you can annotate yourself, is a convenient way of doing this.”

The letter says that the RPA cannot process a claim until it has this information so it is important that farmers return it within seven days,