We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Farming organisations have ‘lost confidence’ in RPA
THE NFU, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) have issued a statement saying they have lost ‘confidence’ in the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
They describe the RPA as a ‘failing agency with a deeply flawed delivery model’ and demand an ‘urgent and honest root and branch review’.
They say this must be ‘backed up by a willingness to tear up the whole blueprint and start again’ if the agency is to have any chance of delivering the Single Payment Scheme and Environmental Stewardship schemes in England reliably.
The statement followed a meeting between leaders of the three organisations with Defra minister Lord Davies and RPA met and RPA chief executive Tony Cooper on Wednesday (April 28) to discuss concerns over the re-mapping project and SPS delivery.
The organisations said that over the last year it had ‘become increasingly clear that the RPA is in deep trouble and unable to function effectively’.
Five years on from the ‘disastrous’ implementation of the SPS ‘we are here again’, the statement by NFU president Peter Kendall, CLA president William Worsley and TFA chairman Greg Bliss said.
The statement accused RPA and Defra of putting the ‘most optimistic spin’ on their internal progress figures.
It claimed the figures published and statements made by the RPA simply do not reflect the reports that are coming in from members about the lack of maps, incorrect data, missing fields, contradictions between inspection findings and issued maps, amendments notified correctly not showing up on re-issued maps or SP5 forms.
“We have raised our concerns repeatedly. Our impression is that they have largely been dismissed as an over-reaction to a few minor delivery issues. We do not believe that to be the case,” the statement said.
With little time left ahead of the May 17 SPS deadline, the organisations called on Defra and the RPA to:
- provide assurances that farmers will not be penalised for mistakes that are not of their doing;
- take into account all supporting information sent in with SP5 forms;
- produce some clear, stand-alone guidance about the approach the RPA will take in relation to incorrectly declared field areas;
- look urgently at deferring the SPS deadlines (May 17 submission and June 1 addition of field data without penalty deadlines).
They organisations added that it was ‘inconceivable’ that the late delivery and poor quality of maps sent to thousands of claimants would not have a knock-on effect on the processing of 2010 claims.
They called on Defra and the RPA to make concrete contingency plans for part payments in December 2010.
They said it was also ‘completely unacceptable’ that around 3,000 farmers were still without their 2009 payment. “Partial payments must be actively considered in every case and implemented wherever possible.”
The statement fell short of calling for Mr Cooper to be sacked. But it said the concerns and criticisms raised were ‘entirely reserved for senior management of the RPA and those in Defra responsible for its performance’ and were ‘in no way a reflection on the RPA’s frontline staff’‘.
“The RPA is a failing agency with a deeply flawed delivery model. It has lost our confidence and the confidence of our members,” the organisations said.
The mapping fiasco – view from the farm
At a recent NFU council meeting, farmers lined up to berate RPA officials, chief operating officer Steve Pearce and RLR policy manager Simon Lunnis, over the agency’s handling of the mapping project and the Single Payment Scheme.
Here is just us a flavour of what some had to say.
John Charles-Jones, Nottinghamshire
The sheer fiasco of the mapping project over the last nine months is just absolutely unbelievable.
We started off with a pilot that was wholly inadequate and if heads hadn’t rolled on that, it is still not too late.
In the East Midlands, there are dozens of us who received our first maps at the end of June 2009. We were asked to return them within 28 days. Our first letter of formal acknowledgement for that was on April 7 this year - 260 days after they were returned on recorded delivery.
It is clearly ludicrous. You have had repeated warnings from the NFU as to the mounting problems that were going to happen – most of it went completely unheeded.
There has been this continual pattern of broken deadlines. It is absolutely unbelievable the mess you have got yourself in.
For many farmers the value of their SFP exceeds the value of their profit. Many farmers are terrified, frankly, of getting their SPS wrong. And without a correct map how on earth do they have any chance of submitting accurate applications.
It doesn’t just affect farmers’ livelihoods, it affects lives as well. And all this comes around as a result of man-made bureaucratic incompetence. You have created the incompetence.
We don’t want any more excuses. We just want achievable deadlines and solutions we can work with .
It is time for the RPA to stop playing catch up and stop behaving like a bunch of uncoordinated muppets.
Jonathan Brant, Lincolnshire
All I am getting from my members at the moment is that: “I have not got my maps or I have got other people’s maps or I have got half on paper and half electronically.”
They want solutions and no more excuses.
I have my maps. Everything is correct and perfect. Thank-you very much.
But I have spoken to farmers who have had no money for 2008, no money for 2009 and no maps for 2010.
I am also an outreach worker. When you have to go sit with farmers who are suicidal, one who has tried to hang himself one who has threatened to shoot himself because of this, it is psychologically and emotionally draining.
I want you to go away listen to what we have said today. It is not just about profit and loss. It is a matter of life and death in some cases.
Readers' comments (1)
Anonymous | 29 April 2010 9:42 pm
It's time Cooper and his management stepped down and were stripped of their pensions.
They are a discrace and have conned the Farmers, DEFRA and ministers that they know how to 'fix' things, when clearly they couldn't run a bath.
I'm beginning to think RPA stands for Really Poor Anthony!!
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