ONE of Britain’s largest farming and countryside advocacy groups is again receiving pleas for assistance from desperate Members facing a cash flow crisis owing to delays in receiving their Single Farm Payments.

After last year's debacle, which left many farmers on the verge of bankruptcy, promises were made that the extent of last year’s late and incorrect payments would not be repeated but that is not the message that rural economy experts on the CLA (Country Land and Business Association) North team are getting, despite a promising start to this year's scheme.

If ever there was a year to ensure payments came out quickly, this is it

Douglas Chalmers - CLA

Douglas Chalmers, Director CLA North said: "I find it completely unacceptable that we are going through this again.

“It is frustrating enough when there are obvious reasons for the delays, but the RPA (Rural Payments Agency) have told us that changes to the Moorland line are holding up 2007 payments. This is causing huge problems, coming on the back of an appalling spring, rising prices and the aftermath of draconian foot and mouth restrictions.

“It does seem incredible that yet again some farmers are being made to wait through no fault of their own, and being put at a commercial disadvantage because others may have been paid months ago.

“It is particularly disappointing that Government doesn’t seem to appreciate that some of these upland businesses are on a financial knife edge through having their incomes ruined last year by the closing of markets following FMD in the South, and now having to face spiraling input costs. Yet again, these effects on farmers are causing ripples of consequences across the whole of the rural economy.

“If ever there was a year to ensure payments came out quickly, this is it. We will be meeting with Defra next week to hammer this message home, and to hopefully get some fast results."

The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) is the principal agricultural payment scheme in the European Union. Under the scheme farmers have greater freedom to farm to the demands of the market as the payments are no longer linked to production, and environmentally friendly farming practices are better acknowledged and rewarded.