Farmers warned to check maps or risk losing hundreds of pounds

Farmers could miss out on hundreds of pounds worth of Single Farm Payments if they fail to check new mapping information from the Rural Land Register, according to the land agency, Strutt & Parker.

Matthew Williamson, of Strutt & Parker, says: "The last time maps were sent out by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in 2005, there were serious teething problems. Entire fields were being missed or field areas mapped as considerably smaller than they actually were resulting in inaccurate single payments. The likelihood is there could be similar problems this time round."

He says: "It is vital all farmers act quickly to check the accuracy of the maps as if a map is inaccurate, they must submit RLE1 forms to amend them within 28 days or receipt."

Failure to do so, he adds, could result in farmers missing out on hundreds of pounds worth of due payments.

He adds: "If any farmers are in any doubt the best advice is to seek professional advice from either ourselves or other land agents with experience in amending maps and dealing with the necessary forms."