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RPA sets out plans for resolving
farmers’ BPS 2015 queries
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has set out what it is now doing to resolve
remaining queries for 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments.
B
y the end of June RPA will start
writing to all claimants whose
payments are part of its
planned payment reconciliation
process to let them know what
is happening and what they
can expect.
Chief Executive of the RPA Mark Grimshaw
said:
“We are now focused on looking at 2015
payments where there’s a difference between
the information on the claim and the
information we hold, to make sure each farmer
is paid for everything they were eligible for.
As of 26 June, 86,678, (99.5%) farmers have
received a payment on their 2015 BPS claim
“The past year has been about building the
foundations of the new Rural Payments service,
which will reduce fines for the UK and mean
quicker and compliant payments for farmers.
“We have all the resources we need and
expect 2016 to be easier for our farmers. It has
already got off to a good start with a record
80% of claims submitted online.”
The process will initially look at around
13,000 individual 2015 BPS claims, many of
whom wrote to RPA, investigating any
differences in land and entitlements held and
making any necessary data adjustments and
top-up payments.
Using farmer and industry feedback, RPA will:
• Focus on getting as much money paid to
farmers as quickly as possible by looking at
those claims with the biggest payment
difference first.
• Contact the farmer or agent if the RPA
needs more information.
• Let the farmer or agent know the outcome
once the work is finished.
• Issue a claim statement and explain to the
farmer what they have done, when any
additional amount is paid.
• Update the data it will use to check the
2016 claim when it adjusts a farmer’s 2015
claim information.
The new Rural Payments service has been
designed to work in a different way to the old
payment system by carrying out a range of prepayment checks to ensure the payments it
issues are compliant.
Using satellite data, aerial photography and
digital maps, it ensures land being claimed
under BPS matches the information held in its
system.
Where there is discrepancy between a claim
and the information held on the Rural Payments
service, only the amount of the claim that
matches is paid out, and penalties are applied
before money is paid.
As well as the cases known to RPA, and so it
can investigate all claim issues, the Agency
asked farmers who believe their payment was
not what they expected to write to them.
Anyone with a query can still write to RPA, so it
can investigate.
As of 26 June, 86,678, (99.5%) farmers have
received a payment on their 2015 BPS claim.
BPS guidance
The decision by the British public to leave
the European Union, does not mean there will
be immediate changes. Until the UK formally
leaves the EU, it still has a legal obligation to
comply with the Common Agricultural Policy
and all BPS scheme rules and regulations will
apply. The 2016 BPS scheme guidance is
available on GOV.UK/guidance/bps-2016.
18-month glyphosate re-approval is a step in right direction
The NFU has today welcomed the announcement that the active substance glyphosate has been re-authorised for an
18-month period with no additional conditions of use placed on it.
he NFU continues to push for
the expected 15-year
authorisation of the world’s
most widely use weed-killer on
behalf of its farmer members.
The NFU’s infographic
launched today aims to communicate more
effectively why glyphosate works for farming
and the environment.
NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “After
many delays to any re-authorisation of
glyphosate we’re pleased to see a positive
decision has been made for agriculture. It is a
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06 | Farming Monthly | July 2016
welcome endorsement from the Commission of
science-based decision-making.
“We appreciate this 18-month period is well
below the 15-year re-approval expected and
politics has played its part in interfering with
this; members can be assured that our goals
have not changed. The approval of glyphosate
offers an endorsement of the scientific scrutiny
from EFSA, helping to maintain the
competitiveness of agriculture, protecting the
environment and allowing farmers to keep food
safe and affordable.
“We also welcome the fact that no additional
conditions of use have been placed on the use
of glyphosate – something the NFU has been
pushing for.
“Echoing Commissioner Andriukaitis, it is
important to clarify that once an active
substance is approved – or renewed at EU level
– it is then up to Member States to authorise
the final products put onto their respective
markets.
“I’m keen to see a science based approach
free of politics and immune to the scare
mongering we have clearly seen on
glyphosate.”
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