The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) customer service centre will be available at weekends from 21 April. It will also be contactable on some public holidays to help those growers and food producers who have yet to submit their 2012 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) applications.

The lines (0845 603 7777) will be open from 9am to 3pm every Saturday until 12t May. There will also be a service for the same hours on bank holiday Monday 7 May and Sunday 13 May.

Depending on call volumes, the agency said it is also preparing for extended service availability for a further four Saturdays between 19 May and 9 June. An announcement on this further extension to the service will be made in due course, the RPA said in a statement.