THOUSANDS of farmers, including
many in the region, have
still not received their single
farm payment for last year.
According to the Rural Payments
Agency (RPA), about 9,000
farmers in England are owed a
total of £190m.
Farming organisations say
those waiting are suffering severe
hardship and have demanded
swift action.
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The RPA said 97,809 farmers,
nearly 92 per cent of the 106,700
claimants, have been paid
£1.26bn - about 86 per cent of the
estimated total of £1.45bn.
Annabelle Morshead, North-
East chairman of the Country
Land and Business Association
(CLA), is still waiting for her payment.
She said: "I find it completely
unacceptable that we are going
through this again.
"It is causing huge problems,
coming on the back of an appalling
spring, rising prices and
the aftermath of draconian foot
and mouth restrictions."
A spokeswoman for the North-
East National Farmers' Union
(NFU) said some farmers had
been told they would not be paid
until November.
George Allison, who farms at
Chopgate, near Stokesley, North
Yorkshire, said: "We have not
had a penny, yet farmers in
Wales, Scotland and Ireland received
theirs in December."
Mr Allison only received his
2005-06 payment in December
last year, has not received any of
his 2006-07 payment, but has to
submit his 2007-08 claim by next
Wednesday.
The RPA said each claim has to
be checked and validated, but admitted
some delays were due to
errors made in previous years.
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