1st September 2008
COMPENSATION CASH FOR BEET CONTRACTORS
NAAC urges sugar beet contractors to register
As EU compensation becomes available, the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) urges contractors affected by sugar beet factory closures to come forward and register their interest with the Rural Payments Agency.
“We are trying to locate all the affected beet contractors to make sure that everyone is fairly compensated,” says Jill Hewitt, the NAAC’s Chief Executive. Contractors were devastated by the closure of the York and Alscott factories and, for many, their business and major source of income was literally wiped out.
“Agricultural contractors are a vital factor in the sugar beet sector, delivering professional services and large-scale machinery solutions to growers. In the affected areas many had invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in specialized machinery, yet suddenly they had no work to carry out and very few options to replace the business lost.”
“This has resulted in extreme financial pressure and these contractors deserve every penny they are paid”.
The NAAC has been in consultation with Defra about the amount of compensation to be paid and it is continuing to assist the RPA in putting in place a fair and practical method of payment to contractors.
Contractors who were contracted to sugar beet growers in the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 who lost work due to the factory closures should register their interest by
forwarding their name, address and contact telephone number to:
Sugar Restructuring Team,
Rural Payments Agency,
PO Box 1058,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE99 4YQ
OR by registering their interest at: sugarrestructuring@rpa.gsi.gov.uk
This information is also available on the RPA website: www.rpa.gov.uk
See 'previous latest news' or view the page here
or click on: rpa schemes / Sugar / Sugar Restructuring
Ends
Jill Hewitt, Chief Executive, National Association of Agricultural Contractors
Mobile: 07889 511245 Tel: 08456 448750 Email: jill.hewitt@naac.co.uk
Samuelson House, 62 Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 5JB
Notes for Editors
- Founded in 1897, the NAAC is the representative organisation for contractors in the UK who supply all types of land-based services to farmers, government, local authorities, sports and recreational facilities.