After weeks of significant frustration to farmers, Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) and Rural Payments Agency (RPA) have abandoned plans to require farmers in England to submit Basic Payment Scheme applications online after technical difficulties with the system proved insurmountable.
Despite spending £154m on upgrading their system, RPA said in a statement: "While the core and registration parts of the Rural Payments system are working well, there have been problems with the online interface that farmers and agents use. The RPA is now offering farmers and their agents the use of established forms and processes to complete their claims by the deadline. The RPA will then input this data on to the system."
Apart from registering, farmers will not be asked to enter any further data online now. Data that has already been entered onto the system has been saved and will be used.
RPA chief executive, Mark Grimshaw said: "My priority is to ensure that every farmers and agent has the help they need to make their claims on time. Using tried-and-tested RPA forms will make this happen.
"Having listened to feedback, the RPA will now combine existing forms that farming businesses are used to, with data that the Rural Payments system already has. This will mean that everyone who is registered and wants to complete a 2015 Basic Payment scheme claim can do so."
NFU president Meurig Raymond said: "The NFU has encouraged our members to register onto the new system in good faith, but we have been let down time and time again. We know that some farmers have already spent hundreds of pounds on agents' fees and this is an unacceptable situation."
Market round-up
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 241 store heifers at Ayr on Thursday to a top of £1290 per head and 260.7p per kg to average £862.86 and 223.2p, while 296 store, beef-bred bullocks peaked at £1300 and 282.1p to level at £953.57 and 233.2p. Fifty store, dairy-bred bullocks sold to £1160 and 186.1p to average £827.08 and 172.3p.
The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart had the largest show in years of 8228 prime hoggs at their weekly sale in Longtown on Thursday. Top prices on the day were £132 per head and 293p per kg, with the overall average levelling at 202.9p (-0.1p on the week).
The firm also had 3491 cast sheep forward when heavy ewes sold to £175 for Texels and averaged £109.18 (+£1.07), while light ewes peaked at £107 for Cheviots and levelled at £58.32 (-£7.61). Rams sold to £160 for Texels and averaged £105.42 (-£7.40).
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