Cross-border farmers ask minister for EU payouts help
Farmers who have land on both sides of the English/Welsh border have asked Rural Affairs Secretary Liz Truss to step into a row over European subsidies which should have been paid five months ago.
NFU Cymru has recently written to Ms Truss asking for full EU basic payment scheme payments to be made to hundreds of cross-border farmers.
NFU Cymru president Stephen James said: "Seven months after the window for basic payment scheme payments opened, hundreds of Welsh/English cross-border farmers are still waiting for their full payment.
"These businesses are being unfairly penalised by the delays just because their land straddles the Wales/England border and Rural Payments Wales and the Rural Payments Agency are unable to cope with the established situation.
"We find it extremely concerning that in 2016 when it is commonplace for data to be easily shared between different systems that data cannot be promptly and effectively shared between the RPA and RPW.
"The market difficulties affecting our key sectors this past year starkly highlight the continued importance of direct payments in underpinning high quality food production.
"Our members who are awaiting payments have outstanding bills to cover feed, fertiliser and rent or loan repayments to make, and as each day passes the cash flow crisis affecting their farming business intensifies.
"We ask that the Secretary of State urgently addresses this matter and ensures that all outstanding data is shared without further delay, so that full BPS payments can be made on all outstanding claims.
"We also hope measures are being put in place to ensure these unacceptable delays are not seen again in 2016 and beyond."
Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies said last month that farmers in the area have been left unable to pay their suppliers and are finding it difficult to run their businesses. Mr Davies, who said he believed about 300 cross-border farmers are affected, has been discussing the issue with farming minister George Eustace and will also call for a debate in parliament.
The bureaucratic hold-up with the EU basic payment scheme is, the farmers say, because civil servants in Westminster have not sent data on their English land to the Welsh government, which has to hand out the payment.
Payments, which depend on the type of land that is farmed and the animals on that land, could range from a few hundred pounds to £10,000.
The RPA said this afternoon: "We are now processing increasingly complex claims which are proving harder than we anticipated. We expect BPS 2016 to be easier for our farmers and it has already got off to a good start."
