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Farming Today: Rural Payments Agency U-turn

20/03/2015

Rural Payments Agency U-turn

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, Rural Payments Agency U-turn

Climbdown for the Rural Payments Agency amid problems with the new online system.

The Rural Payments Agency, which processes farmers' subsidy claims, takes down much of its controversial online system amid serious problems for farmers. With Charlotte Smith.

Charlotte Smith challenges the head of the Rural Payments Agency as it announces a climbdown over it's controversial online-only system for farmers. The RPA had insisted the portal would be able to cope with applications from England's 80,000 farmers. But following a catalogue of problems it's been announced the system will be closed for all but new registrations.

Previously farmers have been able to submit claims for their European subsidies on paper. But England was to be the first country in the UK to insist on online-only applications. Last week the Environment Secretary Liz Truss said there was no need for a contingency plan as the system would work.

But as the computer continued to 'say no' to farmers, paper forms and maps will now be sent out.
The NFU has welcomed the move but says time and money would have been saved if this had been the plan from the start.

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