GovWire

Introduction

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) operates the Intervention and Private Storage Aid (PSA) schemes. These schemes offer financial support under exceptional circumstances which impact upon specific market sectors during crisis. If you are a trader or farmer, read the information below to find how you may benefit from these schemes.

How do Intervention schemes work?

Intervention schemes offer support by removing product(s) from the market.

When intervention is opened, you will be notified by updates to this page. RPA may purchase product from you and arrange for the product to be stored off the market.

Products you can place into intervention are:

• skimmed milk powder
• butter
• paddy rice
• common wheat
• durum what
• beef
• veal
• barley
• maize

Any product you offer into intervention will need to meet the regulatory product specifications and quality standards that will be published if a scheme opens. Sampling and analysis of all products is carried out before accepted into store. This means, you will be asked to lodge a security (like a deposit) before any product is placed into store. When tests confirm the product meets the specifications, the security will be released back to you.

The product is then held in storage, to be sold at a later date.

How do Private Storage Aid schemes work?

Private Storage Aid (PSA) is an alternative way to help address the market position at times of crisis. When PSA is opened, you will be invited to remove your own product from the market and place it into your own store for a specified period of time. You will retain ownership of the product during the storage period.

Products you can place into PSA are:

• white sugar
• olive oil
• flax fibre
• fresh or chilled beef aged 8 months of more
• butter
• cheese
• skimmed milk powder
• pigmeat
• sheepmeat
• goatmeat

This list is not exhaustive and may be extended to target other products where markets need assistance.

Before you place any product into PSA, it must meet the product specifications and quality standards. The storage period will be agreed before placing product into store. Once the storage period has ended, you can remove product.

Find out when schemes are open

Intervention and Private Storage Aid are currently closed.

Should market disturbance indicate that help is needed in a specific sector, then either or both schemes may be opened.

The opening and specific qualifying criteria will be notified on this page, along with the specific application processes relevant to each scheme and product.

What you need to do to take part in a scheme

You must be VAT registered and provide a copy of your VAT certificate with your application.

You must also be register with RPA to take part in these schemes. To register, you can call the Rural Payments Agency on 03000 200 301.

You will need the:

• business name
• business address
• business email address
• type of business (sole trader, partnership etc.)

If your business will be receiving payments, you will also need to register the business bank account details.

When youve registered, you will receive one or more of the following reference numbers for your business (depending on what sort of business it is):

• Single Business Identifier (SBI)
• Trader Registration Number (TRN)
• Vendor Registration Number (VRN)
• Firm Reference Number (FRN)

Read Rural Payments: registering and updating your details for more information.

For further information about scheme activities, you can email the Trader Team at trader@rpa.gov.uk or phone 03300 416 500 and select option 4.