Basic Payment Scheme – last call to smallholders

Smallholders in England are reminded that they are rapidly approaching a key deadline to decide what approach to take to important EU rule changes.

Around 18,000 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) claimants have less than five hectares and / or five entitlements, and may wish to consider transferring entitlements to another farmer before midnight on 21st October, as they prepare for the introduction of the new Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).

They will also be able to transfer BPS entitlement next year by using the new new CAP Information Service – they will need to register on the system to do this and will be able to do so once they receive a registration pack.

The Rural Payments Agency’s external relations director, Arik Dondi, comments: “If they do not need to transfer their SPS entitlements before the October 21st deadline, they will either have to wait until early 2015 (when they have been converted to BPS entitlements) to transfer them to another farmer, once they have registered on the new system, or consider buying more land and entitlements to meet the minimum claim size requirements of the new scheme.”