NFU President Peter Kendall has demanded the immediate introduction of a system of part payments for farmers still waiting for their long overdue single payments.

Mr Kendall made his call after representatives from the NFU, the Tenants Farmers Association (TFA) and the Country Landowners Association (CLA) met with acting RPA Chief Mark Addison and were given depressing news about the progress made in validating claims and making payments to farmers.

At the meeting the three organisations reemphasised the dire consequences that the crisis is causing the whole rural economy and stressed that the time has now come for urgent action by Ministers.

Earlier the RPA had confirmed that they were preparing a plan in relation to part payments, but they could give no comfort by indicating that it would be done quickly.

During the meeting the NFU, TFA and CLA had insisted on the urgency of getting payments out. The three organisations offered to have technical discussions with Defra and the RPA in an effort to ensure that a part payment system meets the requirements of both farmers and Government, and they again demanded that the current process should be targeted at those with historic payments, regardless of the size.

Concerns were also repeated about the 2006 applications and the need for urgent action and advice.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: “After three of these meetings I am depressed and frustrated at the lack of any meaningful progress and the absence of any crumb of comfort for the majority of farmers who remain unpaid.

“In the circumstances I have no alternative but to demand that part payments are made in respect of unpaid claims at the earliest possible opportunity.”

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