Thousands get ready to claim Basic Payment Scheme 2015
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is inviting thousands more farmers and landowners throughout England to take the first online step towards claiming this year’s new scheme payments. RPA CEO Mark Grimshaw, speaking at the NFU Council on Tuesday (20 January), announced a significant ramping up of the numbers invited to register on the new rural […]
More than half of agents have registered for new rural payments service
More than half of farm and agriculture agents and advisors in England have registered on to the new rural payments service as a first step to helping their clients to claim under the new Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2015. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) contacted around 1,200 agents last month to provide support in […]
SPS 2014 – RPA creates new record on first day payments
Figures issued today (8 December) show the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has already surpassed last year’s performance on Single Payment Scheme (SPS) by making more payments than ever before on the first banking day of the payment window, meeting its end of December targets four weeks ahead of schedule. The Agency paid out £1,370,328,624 to […]
New 2015 cross compliance guidance available online now
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is advising all farmers and food producers who want to claim the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), or have a Rural Development Programme land-based agreement, to read the latest cross compliance guidance for 2015 which is published on GOV.UK today. RPA Customer Director Justin Chamberlain said: Our recent Common Agricultural […]
RPA announces 2014 SPS entitlement values
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has announced the values of entitlements for the three English regions under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme (SPS). € 251.39 for non-SDA (Severely Disadvantaged Areas) € 201.32 for upland SDA, other than moorland € 35.26 for upland SDA moorland The exchange rate which will be applied is €1= £0.77730 (based […]
The farming business quality gap can only widen
Pricing volatility is here to stay for the foreseeable future and the gap between the well-run and poorly operated farming businesses is going to widen as a result, HSBC’s Head of Agriculture Allan Wilkinson has warned. Launching Forward Planning 2015, HSBC’s agricultural budgeting publication that is now in its 41st year, Wilkinson said that […]
RPA opens bids for ‘Enjoy, It’s from Europe’ cash
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has announced a new opportunity for trade organisations to apply for funding towards promotion and information programmes for EU agricultural products. Producers of a wide range of products, including fruit and vegetables, meat and eggs, can apply for up to half the cost of marketing their goods abroad in […]
Defra farm income figures underline the volatility challenges across farming sectors
New farm business income statistics only serve to underline the volatility challenges across farming sectors, the NFU said today. Today’s data from Defra, which focus on income from March 2013 to February 2014, show some significant swings in farm profitability across different sectors. However, the NFU says this snapshot does not reflect the current market […]
CAP Reform: Dual use will continue to be allowed in 2015
Farmers and landowners in England with Environmental Stewardship agreements will be able to maintain their existing dual use arrangements in 2015. The Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) External Relations Director Arik Dondi, said: “This decision, announced this week, covers all existing Environmental Stewardship agreements, including those remaining to be signed up this year, and means the […]
