'Hellishly complicated' rules to be explained (From Gazette & Herald)

'Hellishly complicated' rules to be explained

AT least 100 fruit, vegetable and potato growers are expected to turn out later this month to hear how they can make sense of "hellishly complicated" new rules that have left many faced with losing the very land they need to survive.

Such are the problems they are facing that the NFU has joined forces with Roythornes Solicitors to organise a special meeting aimed at helping them find their way through the maze.

The rules have been introduced as part of widespread reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) designed to give farmers greater freedom to become more market oriented.

This saw the introduction of the new Single Payment System from January 1 this year - a payment that for the first time is based on the amount of land that farmers have rather than the commodity they produce.

The reforms also saw previously 'unsupported' crops brought into the payment system, and this includes fruit, vegetable and potato (FVP) growers.

But the implementation of this decision has resulted in extremely complicated rules for growers - mainly because the Single Payment System is being introduced gradually over an eight-year period, during which time 'historic' payments will be phased out in favour of the new 'area' based payment.

"As a result, growers are not only having to apply for special 'authorisations' to grow their crop, they are finding, if they rent their land, that landlords are cautious about continuing to let to FVP growers for fear of jeopardising their future payments," explained NFU food and farming adviser Louise White.

"This means in some circumstances that growers are finding themselves unable to rent the land they need to fulfil their contracts."

The meeting is being held at the Londesborough Arms in Market Weighton on Wednesday, January 26, starting at 2pm.

It is open to NFU members only.

Updated: 14:36 Wednesday, January 19, 2005