The minister for Sustainable Farming and Food, Jeff Rooker, has announced plans to scrap the fruit, vegetable and potato authorisation system from 2008.
The system, which was launched under the Single Payment Scheme in 2005 and called an ‘administrative nightmare’ by the NFU, has been abandoned in the wake of the recently agreed reforms of the fruit and vegetable sector of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The reforms will leave growers free to use their SPS land to grow fruit, vegetables and potatoes without the area restriction currently imposed by authorisations. They also mean that land used for the production of nursery crops will become eligible for an SPS claim, and may be entitled to new payment schemes.
In addiction, land used for the production of orchard and nursery crops will become eligible for an SPS claim and may also attract the allocation of new payment entitlements according to criteria.
Rooker explained: "I am pleased to announce that from 2008 the system of fruit, vegetable and potato authorisations will be abolished. I have been very aware of the difficulties these authorisations have caused growers.
"A consultation will follow on the other SPS aspects of the reforms, including when orchard and nursery land will become eligible under the scheme and the criteria under which any new entitlements will be allocated in respect of this land."
The NFU’s senior policy adviser to the East Midlands, Simon Fisher, welcomed the news. “Growers have been frustrated and annoyed by the extra red tape they’ve had to abide by,” he said.
“Growers will be relieved to be treated the same as ordinary SPS applicants in future. FVPs were just another reason for processing and payment delays at the RPA, so their abolition should mean that the system is simpler to use than in previous years.”
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