As if it’s not a big enough threat to growers’ incomes that many winter crops are covered in this week’s early snowfall, producer organisations have been hit with the hammer blow that their much anticipated payments have been delayed.

This is a travesty at a time when companies are preparing to pay their staff and suppliers for Christmas. It may not be the much maligned Rural Payments Agency’s fault that EU auditors have raised questions over the operation of the fruit and veg aid scheme in the UK, but the government has to take responsibility and prioritise growers’ interests and the money they are due.

Some huge sums of cash are involved, and the delays are causing significant problems for certain producers. Some of the most impressive grower businesses in the country are being affected at arguably the worst possible time of year.

Applications have been made in good faith and producers had every right to factor the money into their balance sheets. NFU president Peter Kendall is understood to be meeting farming minister Jim Paice and it is important that Paice lives up to his reputation as a friend of the industry and brings a swift resolution to the situation.

The question is often raised why the UK does not make use of POs and EU cash to the extent that they do in, say, the Netherlands, and it is a theme that we will be writing about in depth in the coming weeks.

Situations like this latest delay in cash payments is hardly going to encourage their greater uptake. These problems involving the RPA repeatedly occur and must be ironed out as soon as possible.