The Rural Payments Agency says it paid out £1.2 billion to 84,600 English farmers on the opening day of the 2011 Single Payment Scheme window (December 1).
The money represented 71.6 per cent of the estimated total fund, paid to 80.8 per cent of eligible claimants.
Farming minister Jim Paice described performance as "promising" and said the agency was in a “good position” to meet its first target of paying out 78 per cent by value to at least of 86 per cent of eligible claimants by the end of December.
As a comparison, by December 3 last year - two days later - 83,306 payments totalling £1.1 billion had been released.
In a statement, Mr Paice said: “Payments to farmers will continue to be made as soon as validation of their claims is complete, with the values adjusted to reflect any significant outstanding overpayments from previous years.
There remains much to do, but this promising beginning places RPA in a good position to meet its first SPS 2011 performance indicator, namely to pay 78% of the total estimated fund value to a minimum of 86% of eligible claimants by the end of December 2011.
“In line with the commitment in my statement of November 8, the RPA will write in early December to those farmers who are unlikely to be paid during the month in order to both explain the additional work that is required to validate their claim and provide an indicative timescale for how long that type of work can take.”
- In Wales, 88 per cent of total claimants were due to be paid in excess of £214m by the end of December 1. By the end of December, 90 per cent of Welsh farmers are expected to have received their payments.
- In Scotland, 70 per cent of payments were expected to be made within the first 15 days of the payment window.
- In Northern Ireland, payments are not due to start reaching bank accounts until December 12.
- Northern Ireland Agriculture Michelle Minister O’Neill said 83 per cent of claims would be paid in December, with 90 per cent complete by the end of January.
The NFU will be monitoring the situation closely over the coming weeks. Members with issues or concerns can contact NFU Callfirst on 0870 845 8458, or the RPA customer services line, on 0845 603 7777.
- See also: SPS statements available this week 29 Nov 2011
The Rural Payments Agency will make the majority of SPS 2011 Entitlements Statements available to view online by December 1 (Thursday).
- Visit our SPS channel here.
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