WELSH farmers are more likely to receive prompt Single Payments than their English counterparts, an agricultural specialist believes.

Yesterday the Rural Payments Agency announced that SFP payments in England would be delayed until February 2006 at the earliest. Euryn Jones, Barclays agricultural policy director, said: "I detect rather more confidence about early payment from Welsh Assembly Government officials in Cardiff than I do from their opposite numbers at Defra in England."

Meanwhile a Barclays survey at the Royal Smithfield Show found 66% of farmers would include Single Payment when calculating farm profitability.

. Eurig Wyn, Plaid North Wales Economy spokesman, told Anglesey farmers the industry must not drop its guard over Single Payments.

Addressing the executive committee of the FUW's Ynys Mon, the former MEP said: "A clause has been inserted in the agreement that the fund could in fact be cut. It is therefore vital that our representatives in the Brussels Council of Ministers push hard to ensure funds aren't siphoned away."