SPS deadline is looming

11:25am Thursday 17th April 2008

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May 15 has now become the most crucial day in the farming calendar – it is the date by which the Rural Payments Agency must have received farmers’ completed Single Payment Scheme forms.

The regulations and the SPS forms change most years and, as part of its very successful Enterprise Works series of meetings, the West Midlands CLA has again been holding SFP Workshops on how to complete the 2008 form. Donna Tavernor, the CLA’s West Midland Advisor explained to a well-attended meeting at Bishops Frome that, although they were hoping the SPS forms would be similar to last year’s, there are several fundamental changes to the regulations and the format. The CLA’s advisor said it was imperative for any farmer who had not received their SP5 form to contact the RPA immediately. She stressed the need for farmers to make sure the pre-printed information on the form was accurate or make the necessary amendments in the approved way. She warned that it was important that only forms produced by the RPA for that holding should be used. Photocopies were not acceptable. Any farmer needing more forms or extra sheets can call the RPA customer service centre on 08456 037777. Farmers can notify the RPA of land they no longer have on their holding by deleting that parcel of land on their SPS form. They can also claim on additional land by adding the details on their form. Any permanent changes of field boundaries, additional parcels of land not previously on the rural land register and the transfer of entitlements with or without land must be notified to the RPA by completing form RLE1, which can be obtained by calling the RPA, which will require the holding’s Single Business Identifier (SBI number is on the front of the SPS form).

This year sees two major changes. The 10-month rule has been amended. Farmers will now be required to have the land at their disposal on May 15 each scheme year, so it is important to make sure that any fields which are available have an A against them in column C10 of the form. The other major change relates to set-aside. The compulsory set-aside rate for 2008 has been fixed at zero, allowing any non permanent crop to be grown this year. However, farmers will have to have an area of land designated on the form to match their set-aside entitlement, which is on the SFP claim calculation statement. Such land will have to be eligible for set-aside, but will not have to be managed under the previous management regime in 2008, but will still have to comply with cross compliance regulations. At the end of the meeting Donna Tavernor said farmers should retain copies of the completed form, which should be completed in black ink. Do not use pencil, felt pen or correction fluid and she re-iterated the importance of making sure any alterations were done in the approved way and initialled. Donna stressed: “Do not to forget to sign the form on completion and return it before May 15.” As in previous years, there will be a drop-in collecting centre at Worcester. But the forms will not be checked in detail and it is important to get a receipt.