MAFF urged to extend hill deadline
13 February 2001
MAFF urged to extend hill deadline
By Isabel Davies
THE government is under pressure to extend the deadline for hill farmers to prove they are eligible for subsidies under its new Hill Farm Allowance scheme.
Producers in some upland areas have until 16 February to submit claims under the new system. The deadline for farmers elsewhere is soon afterwards.
But Ben Gill, NFU president, has written to agriculture minister Nick Brown asking for the timetable for implementing the new scheme to be revised.
The Ministry of Agriculture must not under-estimate the confusion among producers about the new scheme, wrote Mr Gill.
MAFF sent out 3400 letters three weeks ago to producers who appeared ineligible for payments because they fall below minimum stocking requirements.
Those letters asked for additional information relevant to possible claims – including any extra stock kept on the farm and agri-environment agreements.
But the letter failed to mention that some of the supposedly ineligible farmers could receive aid if they get support under the extensification payment scheme.
Mr Gill said he feared many of those producers were still not aware that this was the case and could miss the deadline to inform MAFF of their eligibility.
“The deadlines imposed right through the development of the new scheme have been far from ideal and this latest problem is no exception,” he said.
MAFF must revise its timetable and immediately notify all producers who received a letter that further calculations were needed, added Mr Gill.
“This is too important an issue to just leave it to chance.”
A MAFF spokeswoman said the ministry had not yet received Mr Gills letter and urged producers to send in information as soon as possible.
“It is important to get information in as soon as possible. If producers dont then there could be delays in payment,” she said.