THE announcement by the Agriculture Minister Lord Bach that full payments to farmers under the Single Payment Scheme would begin this month has been welcomed.

Frances Beatty, director of the Country Land and Business Association West Midlands, said: "At last, after much pressure from CLA and other organisations, the government, acting on advice from the RPA, has promised to get full payments out to the bulk of farmers and land managers by the end of March."

She added: "We welcome this statement as we did not want messy partial payments in March.

"However, statements are merely words. Our members will not be happy until they receive the money upon which their businesses and livelihoods depend."

Mrs Beatty said cash flow problems would be created for those who did not get their payments in February at a time when demands for inputs, such as feed and fertiliser, were at their highest.

Richard White, of Strutt and Parker's Moreton office, said: "There will almost certainly be a number of farmers whose claims have not been processed that do not receive payments until April or even later.

"Arrangements need to be considered now to deal with this eventuality."