No more refunds for flood-hit spuds
13 February 2001
No more refunds for flood-hit spuds
By Donald MacPhail
FLOOD-HIT potato farmers unable to lift their crops have been told they can no longer claim refunds of levies paid to the industrys statutory body.
The British Potato Council said it would be unfair and too expensive to extend the deadline for claims for a rebate of its 36.50/ha levy.
It had already extended the deadline from 1 November to 1 December, and said 165 growers registered land under its crop loss levy relief.
The situation is complicated because crops are being lost for reasons not covered by the scheme, such as frost damage, said BPC chairman David Walker.
“Taking the issues of not being able to deliver or manage fairness together with the sheer size of likely claims, the Council decided it could not extend the existing policy.”
Mr Walker said a wider rebate would be unfair on growers who lifted crops but lost income due to rotting or low quality, and those affected by disease.
He contended that to rebate on the 17,000ha grown by 1200-1500 farmers would mean a 650,000 loss of income and affect marketing and research work.
An option of raising levies by 4.80/ha to meet the deficit would be unpopular with growers, said Mr Walker.
The BPC say its predecessor the Potato Marketing Board could offer a full-blown crop loss policy because it charged 85/ha levies.
Fiona Reilly, potato adviser at the National Farmers Union, said the BPC definition of flooding was too narrow and excluded many waterlogged farmers.
She added: “We have had exceptional weather conditions and wed hoped the BPC would have done something exceptional.
“Its not a huge sum, but would have been welcomed by farmers who are in dire straits, and helped alleviate some suffering.”
Autumn and winter floods have meant that thousands of acres of potatoes are still in the ground and 10% of Britains national crop is close to being a write-off.