Payout of the 2013 Single Farm Payment (SFP) has hit record levels with 36,817 payments now finalised, representing 96% of all claimants, and £256m by value.

The figures include 1,340 inspection cases, which is the highest number ever achieved at this point in the year (62.6%). Within these figures are 430 inspection cases completed using satellite technology (remote sensing).

Despite the record performance, Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill faced criticism from MLAs earlier this week over how these remote sensing inspections were conducted. In total, 1,139 remote inspections were completed out of a total of 2,129 inspections for land eligibility. The satellite technology is seen as crucial to ensuring that more prompt payments are made in future years.

In 2013, two areas were chosen for remote sensing – an area in the east, mainly in Co Antrim, and one mainly in the Clogher Valley area of Co Tyrone. The satellite imagery and aerial photographs were taken in May 2013 by the Icon Group, a Dublin-based company.

The main issue for many MLAs was the fact that most farmers were unaware they had been inspected until they received a letter from the Department in mid-December (after the SFP had started to issue). Those who were aware had received a rapid field visit from a DARD inspector in recent weeks to check an issue not clear on the image, e.g. a mix of rushes and scrub in a field.

During a briefing with MLAs on the Stormont Agriculture committee, Minister O’Neill insisted that EU rules make it impossible for DARD to notify a farmer when a satellite image has been taken.

However, she proposed that in future years, farmers who have been selected for a remote sensing inspection would receive a letter at the same time as the majority receive their Determined Area Notification letter for SFP, which usually arrives in November.

With the IT processes now in place, DARD officials claim it should be possible to pay most remote sensing inspections done in future years by December.

The Department is also likely to randomly choose farmers from across NI for inspection by satellite in 2014. One of the main issues of concern in 2013 was the choice of two focused areas, which meant that the impact went beyond individuals and into the wider agricultural community.

“There are lessons to be learned. The system has worked, but we can tweak it to make it better,” commented Minister O’Neill.