Poor e-iacs response
Poor e-iacs response
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MAFF received just 840 IACS forms electronically by the May 15 deadline, about 10% of the number expected. Many farmers who tried the system had to fill in forms manually at the last minute to avoid missing the deadline.
The foot-and-mouth crisis prevented many farmers from obtaining the certificate needed to validate their signature from a chamber of commerce, said a ministry spokesman.
Up to 8000 e-iacs forms were expected to be processed this spring, but many applicants had problems.
John Balslev, who farms in Cornwall, spent four hours online completing the form. "I accept the ministry was stretched due to F&M, but their information has been evasive and misleading. The exercise has been very time-consuming and has undoubtedly cost more than the traditional method."
Agents Strutt & Parker resorted to the manual method, describing the system as "bizarre" and "a hassle". "The average farmer would not be interested in using the system as it is at the moment," says senior consultant Mark Hall. *