The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is inviting farmers and landowners throughout Cumbria to take the first online step towards claiming this year’s new scheme payments.

RPA Chief Executive Officer Mark Grimshaw, speaking at the NFU Council, announced a significant ramping up of the numbers invited to register on the new rural payments online service.

He also set out what farmers will be able to do and by when in order to start building their Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2015 claim and reaffirmed the RPA’s commitment to ensuring a package of support is in place to ensure all customers who want to claim rural payments are able to do so.