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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Online farm payment system abandoned after 'performance problems' | Online farm payment system abandoned after 'performance problems' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A multi-million pound government IT system to process EU subsidy payments for farmers in England has been largely abandoned after "performance problems". | |
| The system will be re-launched next week with farmers asked to submit Basic Payment Scheme claims on paper forms. | The system will be re-launched next week with farmers asked to submit Basic Payment Scheme claims on paper forms. |
| Farmers say they have struggled with the £154m website for months. | Farmers say they have struggled with the £154m website for months. |
| Mark Grimshaw, chief executive of Defra's Rural Payments Agency (RPA), said the decision had been made "having listened intently" to farmers. | Mark Grimshaw, chief executive of Defra's Rural Payments Agency (RPA), said the decision had been made "having listened intently" to farmers. |
| He made the announcement on BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme. | |
| Defra made the decision to "blend" new and existing forms and processes "to ensure that everyone who wants to make a claim this year can do so", the chief executive added. | |
| Farmland boundaries | Farmland boundaries |
| The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is the European Union's biggest rural payments subsidy scheme for the farming industry. | The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is the European Union's biggest rural payments subsidy scheme for the farming industry. |
| Defra has said the registration part of the system will continue. The RPA will then input the data on to the system. | Defra has said the registration part of the system will continue. The RPA will then input the data on to the system. |
| However, a digital "mapping tool" to measure farmland boundaries - which has been the most problematic element of the system - has been replaced with paper maps and forms. | However, a digital "mapping tool" to measure farmland boundaries - which has been the most problematic element of the system - has been replaced with paper maps and forms. |
| Farmers and their agents will be able to receive assistance at 50 digital support centres in England, which will now act as drop-in centres. | Farmers and their agents will be able to receive assistance at 50 digital support centres in England, which will now act as drop-in centres. |
| Richard Cotham, farmer, Shropshire | Richard Cotham, farmer, Shropshire |
| I usually leave it to the last minute with the paper forms because it only takes about three hours to do, but so far I have spent three days doing the online version and I am only halfway through it. | I usually leave it to the last minute with the paper forms because it only takes about three hours to do, but so far I have spent three days doing the online version and I am only halfway through it. |
| We don't have all the codes - we have to put down what you're growing in each field and a code for each crop. | We don't have all the codes - we have to put down what you're growing in each field and a code for each crop. |
| It is just lack of information really, there is just no information and the people on the switchboard when you ask the helpline are as much in the dark as we are. | It is just lack of information really, there is just no information and the people on the switchboard when you ask the helpline are as much in the dark as we are. |
| Also talking to Farming Today, Guy Smith, from the National Farmers Union, said he had found the mapping programme "beyond comprehension". | |
| "Our patience is worn really thin now and if we think that they've launched this again half baked, not ready to go, without proper back-up we will be complaining in the strongest terms," he said. | "Our patience is worn really thin now and if we think that they've launched this again half baked, not ready to go, without proper back-up we will be complaining in the strongest terms," he said. |
| Brian Glick, editor in chief of Computer Weekly, said: "The system hasn't been permanently abandoned, it's an embarrassment rather than a failure." | Brian Glick, editor in chief of Computer Weekly, said: "The system hasn't been permanently abandoned, it's an embarrassment rather than a failure." |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By environment correspondent Claire Marshall | By environment correspondent Claire Marshall |
| For anyone who's been farming for a decade or more, this kind of Defra IT system fiasco will be horribly familiar. | For anyone who's been farming for a decade or more, this kind of Defra IT system fiasco will be horribly familiar. |
| The head of the Tenant Farmers Association has called it "the ghost of Christmas past". | The head of the Tenant Farmers Association has called it "the ghost of Christmas past". |
| When the Common Agricultural Policy was last reformed in 2005, the £350m, implementation IT system disintegrated. | When the Common Agricultural Policy was last reformed in 2005, the £350m, implementation IT system disintegrated. |
| Farmers ended up not being paid the EU funds they were entitled to, or they got paid the wrong amounts. | Farmers ended up not being paid the EU funds they were entitled to, or they got paid the wrong amounts. |
| It took years to sort out. The system was dismantled and the Rural Payments Agency was told that it "must learn" from its costly mistake. | It took years to sort out. The system was dismantled and the Rural Payments Agency was told that it "must learn" from its costly mistake. |
| This time another eye-watering sum has been paid to technology suppliers and consultants: £154m. | This time another eye-watering sum has been paid to technology suppliers and consultants: £154m. |
| Defra officials had reassured farmers they would ensure there was "no repeat of the 2005 payments fiasco". | Defra officials had reassured farmers they would ensure there was "no repeat of the 2005 payments fiasco". |
| So it is time to ditch the keyboard and download the claim forms. | So it is time to ditch the keyboard and download the claim forms. |
| Scotland had already prepared its paper-based forms. The question will be asked: why was there no plan B in England? | Scotland had already prepared its paper-based forms. The question will be asked: why was there no plan B in England? |
| The European Commission has extended the deadline for basic payment scheme applications until 15 June. | The European Commission has extended the deadline for basic payment scheme applications until 15 June. |
| "We've put in place some processes which we know (farmers) are familiar with, so they can have the certainty of being able to submit their applications on time," Mr Grimshaw added. | "We've put in place some processes which we know (farmers) are familiar with, so they can have the certainty of being able to submit their applications on time," Mr Grimshaw added. |
| Farmers have repeatedly been reassured the online system would be fixed. | Farmers have repeatedly been reassured the online system would be fixed. |
| Defra has said two forms will be available to download from the RPA's website from 23 March. | Defra has said two forms will be available to download from the RPA's website from 23 March. |
| Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own rural payment schemes. |