Plea to help ease financial burden (From Western Telegraph)

Plea to help ease financial burden

THE Welsh Assembly is being asked to investigate part payment of the Single Farm Payment to ease the financial pressure currently facing some farmers in Wales, who have not yet received their money.

NFU Cymru has congratulated the Assembly for its performance in distributing SPS payments to farmers, but a minority still haven't received their interim, let alone final payment, and are now under immense financial pressure.

NFU Cymru president Carmarthen farmer Dai Davies said: "There are some farmers in Wales who are facing acute financial difficulties as a result of the delay in SPS payments. In the run up to SPS implementations, NFU Cymru stressed the importance for cash flow reasons of getting the SPS payments out to the industry as swiftly as possible, particularly in year one.

"The late spring and inclement weather have resulted in added costs of production and many of those still awaiting payments for no apparent reason, are becoming both financially and emotionally distressed, with their neighbours having received their interim SPS payments some three months ago."

"Ideally we would like to see full outstanding payments being expedited, but if this is not feasible because of delays that fall outside of your discretion, for example, confirmation of Rural Payment Agency details, we would like the Assembly to investigate part payment to ease the financial pressure on these businesses," he added.