Payments under the disadvantaged areas schemes commenced on 28 September 1997 and almost £71 million representing 60 per cent of all applications has been paid to date.
It should be noted that this year priority was accorded to making payments under the 1997 arable aid scheme in view of the very severe harvest conditions which affected some parts of the country. Over 99 per cent of arable applicants have been paid almost £90 million under the arable aid scheme and the prioritising of these payments has had some impact on the delivery of payments under the 1997 disadvantaged areas headage schemes.
It should also be noted that almost 7 per cent of 1997 cattle headage beef cow applications cannot be processed at local office level because they are under query with the farmers concerned.
Payments are continuing to issue to farmers under all premium and headage schemes.