RPA boss warns farmers ‘testing times’ lay ahead

The boss of the Rural Payments Agency has admitted the agency faces “one of the most challenging periods in its history” as it implements the new CAP scheme.

Speaking on the release of the 2014-15 business plan Mark Grimshaw, RPA chief executive, said the agency faced testing times.

“It will be a tough task but RPA is in a better place than it was last time round,” he said, in reference to problems seen at the agency after the last round of CAP reforms.

At that point – in 2005-06 – there was widespread anger after computer failures, mapping issues and organisational chaos left farmers waiting for months for their single farm payments to be processed .

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“Over the past two years we have completed early a highly successful strategic improvement programme which has stabilised the agency and delivered our best ever performance,” said Mr Grimshaw.

“The result is today’s RPA is a lean, agile and high-performing organisation which is ready for the challenges ahead.”

Mr Grimshaw said the priority was to persuade farmers to engage early with the new online CAP system, which would have to be used by all applicants from 2015.

The government has decided from 1 January the policy will be digital by default, although the RPA has said it is working on developing proposals for “assisted digital support services” for people with legitimate reasons for not being able to apply online.

The RPA business plan says while the agency is broadly aware of what the new CAP schemes should look like, there are still some questions to be answered, which will need feeding into the new IT system.

It adds there are also still a number of other external factors that may impact on delivery of the schemes.