Unionist Agriculture Spokesperson, Jo-Anne Dobson MLA, has demanded the Agriculture Minister immediately seek permission to make advanced Single Farm Payments.

 
Commenting as the plight of farmers who have yet to receive their payments was again raised at Stormont, Mrs Dobson said:

“As it stands some 2,409 cases have not yet been paid. It seems as if there is one rule for farmers and one for the Department who year on year continually fail to get to grips with farm maps.

“My Committee colleague Robin Swann MLA and I held a successful meeting with around 150 farmers in Glarryford last week. They and other farmers in the Bann Valley area have been part of a remote-sensing pilot which has held back their payments.

“The Department are happy to confirm that remote sensing works well in other European countries, but yet seem happy to continually fail to find a way of doing it professionally here. And all the time they are apparently content for local farmers to continue to pay for their own failings. This cannot go on.

“That is why last June at the Assembly Robin and myself proposed an amendment calling for the Minister to seek permission from the European Commission to make advanced Single Farm Payments to local farmers. Our motion was unanimously backed by MLA’s, yet 8 months on farmers continue to suffer at the hands of the Departments failures.

“It is entirely unacceptable that cash flow is withheld from our farmers for up to nine months when in the Republic of Ireland payments are made to farmers up front.

“It is all the more important that, when neighbouring countries are taking steps, those with the power in Northern Ireland should do the right thing for our farmers. My Ulster Unionist colleagues and I are standing up for farmers at Stormont.”