The Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce – the main department charged with administering agricultural payments in the UK – was abolished by Defra last week.

Its functions have been taken over by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The agency will also be responsible for CAP payments in England, which were previously administered from nine different regional service centres.

The RPA was launched as an executive agency of Defra on October 16 2001 and received accreditation as an EU paying agency on the same date. Johnston McNeill is the chief executive.

The agency had operated as a joint enterprise with the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce until the latter's dissolution on November 16.