He writes:
I'm very much hoping that the vast majority of NFU members will receive their BPS payments this month. If the RPA hits its '90% paid' target by the end of December then they should be congratulated. For thousands of farm businesses across the country prompt payment of this money will mean some relief for stretched bank accounts. Additionally it will mean farm supply firms and contractors will also enjoy some Christmas cheer as bills get paid. However, in among this welcome seasonal news, rest assured we have not forgotten the 10% who will remain unpaid as we enter the new year.
Travelling round the country, as I have been in November and December during AGM season, I'm also very aware there remains thousands still underpaid from 2015. This is simply unacceptable and we call on Defra and their agency, the RPA, to resolve this as quickly as possible. In the case of those commoners who find themselves at the back of the queue yet again we think there is a very good case for a bridging payment and we have requested this.
The BPS saga is now 20 months on from the IT meltdown in March 2015. At times it has felt like a rather long and rocky road, particularly for NFU staff who need congratulating for their hard work fielding thousands of member concerns. Our one key message to Defra throughout this debacle has been to ensure the RPA has the proper resource it needs to deliver BPS competently. I like to think we have had some success, particularly when hundreds of extra staff were drafted into the RPA last year.
Our concern now is that Defra may feel the RPA is back on track and no longer needs that extra engine capacity.
Given the amount of outstanding work the RPA still has to cover as it starts to approach the opening of the 2017 application window, we urge Defra not to underestimate again what will be needed to ensure proper delivery of BPS going forward.
Content taken from our outstanding members' magazine. Find out more about our British Farmer and Grower here.