Audio: Schoolchildren collect food parcels for hill farmers

Food parcels are being delivered to cash-strapped hill farmers in northern England who are still waiting to receive last year’s subsidy payments.

County Durham sheep and cattle producer Greg Dalton said food parcels collected by schoolchildren at a local harvest festival had been delivered to upland farmers.

“They were collecting food parcels in boxes for local farming families – not for the impoverished of inner-city London or Newcastle, but actually for local farming families,” he told Farmers Weekly.

Listen to the interview with Greg Dalton.

“There are reports of bailiffs turning up at doors wanting bills paid and people having to go to farming charities for handouts.”

Mr Dalton, whose wife is deputy head teacher at a local school, is the northern regional chairman for the National Sheep Association.

See also: Sheep farmers still waiting for BPS statements

Subsidy payments represented about 40-45% of the farm’s business income – but on many upland farmers it would be higher still, he said.

Scores of upland farmers with grazing rights across common land were still waiting for their basic payment from 2015, said Mr Dalton.

“It is a vital part of their income,” he said.

Government response

Mr Dalton raised the issue of late subsidy payments with Defra minister George Eustice at the Northern Farming Conference on Wednesday (9 November).

Mr Eustice said: “If there are any payments outstanding, then write to me.”

He added: “The truth is we made part payments to everyone with common land who had been caught up in this situation.”

The government had faced a legal challenge of the methodology used to pay farmers with commons land, which had contributed to the delays.

As a result of the legal challenge, Defra had been required to assess all claims relating to common land before any payment could be made, said Mr Eustice.

“That means nobody could be paid until everyone had got their application in and had been assessed – and it makes it far more complicated and far more difficult.”

In recognition of the situation, the Rural Payments Agency had made a part payment to affected farmers earlier this spring, said Mr Eustice.

“I am told everyone has now had their second payment – [although] I know there are still some who have had their second instalment and don’t believe they have had enough.

“If that is the case, they should continue their dialogue with the RPA on this point. But as far as I am aware, everyone on common land has received their 2015 payment.

“If anyone thinks they haven’t, they should get in touch.”