Neil Hamilton, MS for Mid & West Wales and Leader of UKIP Wales, is reminding farmers time is running out to apply for extra support.
Mr Hamilton, a member of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs committee, is urging farm businesses to apply for the BPS 2020 Support Scheme which is open until the end of next month.
He said: “As a member of the Senedd’s Rural Affairs Committee, I am more than familiar with the financial pressures our hardworking agricultural and rural industries are under and urge farmers not to miss out on this potential support.
“The Covid–19 pandemic has highlighted the vital role of our own agricultural industry. In these extremely difficult and challenging times, it is absolutely vital that Welsh food, farming, livelihoods, communities and our environment continues to receive support from the Welsh Government.
“It is also important to remember that you have to ‘opt in’ to this Basic Payment Scheme and it will not kick in automatically. Farmers need to apply by November 27 or they could fail to get the funding. Don’t wait for someone to contact you – you must take the initiative.”
The BPS 2020 Support Scheme replicates the ‘loan’ facility made available for BPS 2018 and 20919. It is a way of helping those farmers who will not receive their Basic Payment Scheme payment on day one of the payment window period.
Farmers who submitted an application for BPS 2020 via the Single Application Form 2020 are encouraged to apply to the Support Scheme, especially if a payment early in the payment window period is essential to their farming business.
If you want to receive 90% of your payment in December, you need to apply to the scheme by November 27 in the event that your BPS claim has not been fully processed in time.
