RPA's maps are changing faster than the agricultural landscape

THE Rural Payments Agency has not had a great time of it over the years. In most farmers’ eyes the agency has lurched from calamity to disaster to crisis on an almost annual basis and with no reprieve.

It is no surprise then farmers are eyeing the RPA’s latest update of the Rural Land Register with trepidation.

Therefore, the sceptics are starting to crow. So far, out of the 17,000 maps that have been sent to farmers, mostly in the South East, hundreds of farmers have reported errors.

Over the next couple of months the RPA will roll out maps to all 120,000 SPS recipients in England and there is a growing concern the errors will continue and another RPA mapping fiasco will ensue.

Simon Lunnis, policy manager for the Rural Land Register, however, is urging farmers to bear with the agency this time around.

He says: “We need to work in partnership with farmers to make sure this runs as smoothly as possible. RPA is working hard to engage with stakeholders to deliver the update project with as little disruption as possible to farmers.

“Farmers must expect their maps to be a little different.

The new mapping provides accuracy improvement and so about 90 per cent of farmers’ maps will change by less than 1 per cent and many will need to be amended but our staff are always close at hand to help.

“The mapping update is a major undertaking for the agency and an opportunity for all farmers in England to obtain updated maps for their land.

“The new information will enable the RPA to provide more accurate maps for farmers and, when agreed, will help us process claims more quickly.”

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