OTTO Von Bismarck once famously declared that "politics is not an exact science" and I sometimes wonder whether many of our politicians have ever looked up the definitions of honesty and integrity.

Lord Bach and his pack of Defra hounds have been baying for months that the announcement of definitive entitlements for each of us would be the key to unlock the Single Payment door.

With a dubious play on words "definitive entitlements" no longer mean what you might think.

It is true according to Lord Bach that the RPA computers started rolling on Valentine's Day to produce individual statements of entitlements which will be sent over the next few weeks to every farmer; but there will be an accompanying note as to whether the claim has been "validated".

If your claim has validation you will receive payment; if there is no validation, then not only will payment be withheld but also the RPA reserves the right to amend the entitlement statement itself.

As far as I can glean around 50 per cent of entitlement statements will not be fully validated.

As to receiving payment itself, I can only warn you not to book that weekend in Mablethorpe just yet.

The RPA has changed its forecast for paying farmers by the end of March from a healthy 90 per cent down to "the bulk". At worst this now means only 51 per cent may receive a cheque.

It is an absolute disgrace when you think that before Christmas 95 per cent of Welsh farmers were paid an interim amount of 75 per cent of their claim.

There will be quite a few anxious selling souls waiting in the wings to transfer entitlements to purchasers and as I mentioned last week you can get the new RLE1 forms for transfer from the RPA.

A good tip is to actually request more forms than you need in case you make a mistake because they are pretty complex.

Once you have got your statement of definitive establishment you can legally effect a transfer but both parties need to be aware that if the claim is not fully validated then the quantity and type of entitlements may be subject to alteration up or down!

As the transfer rules become clear it would seem that a transfer without land is going to be the easier route but the transaction will be liable to VAT if you place a value on the entitlements.

There are inevitably quite a few pitfalls and take advice if you need it. Don't forget the RPA needs six weeks' notice for the transfer time.

Our national Livestock Auctioneers' Association has spent months trying to knock some sense into Defra over the rapidly spreading TB epidemic but without much success.

The consultation period has just ended and I fear the Animal Rights vote will outweigh the common sense approach which should dictate a selective but widespread badger cull.

This week we have managed to get some concessions on pre-movement testing and on the cattle that can be shown in our livestock markets.

Here are a few pointers:

Pre movement testing only applies to cattle over 15 months of age and that are coming off farms in one or two year testing regimes.

Cattle that are tested can move without penalty into a Yorkshire market or onto our Yorkshire farms which are three and four year testing areas.

There is no need for further tests on our farms in Yorkshire and you would be able to fatten these cattle.

There is a provision for fattening units to be specially approved to finish untested cattle that should have been pre-movement tested but frankly the regulations are so complicated as to deter the average farmer.

The Welsh have not yet introduced any scheme and we are therefore inadvertently exposed to cattle coming off Welsh farms that may be under the one to two year testing rule but which haven't been pre movement tested at all.

I am sure the above will be as clear as mud!

Thanks to Ken Hudson, Rosie Dunn and others who have reported their Entry Level Scheme money has now arrived.

In Ken's case his application went in last July and he received the first half yearly payment on February 9.

If you have a similar application it is time to check where it has got to.

A slightly doubtful mother-in-law joke appeared from the Sinnington post bag and concerns a young man who sustained a nasty gash on his cheek whilst playing rugby.

As the wound didn't heal he had to have a skin graft to help repair the damage.

He never admitted from where the graft was taken but did insist that his mother-in-law kissed him whenever she appeared!

Forward 168 cattle including 58 bulls and 11 cows, 1,061 sheep including 237 ewes. Light steers to 131p G I Marwood, Harome, ave 103.09p; heavy steers to 120p, J L Gray, Grindale, ave 107.66p; light heifers to 105p R & D Bell, Normanby, medium heifers to 120p, R & D Bell, Normanby, ave 101.3p; heavy heifers to 147p G I Marwood, Harome, ave 104.8p; light bulls to 119p J Waind, Brawby, ave 108.5p; heavy bulls to 119p Mrs C Mason, Wold Newton, ave 107.3p; black and white bulls to 94p, J E Clifford & Sons, Slingsby, ave 86.5p; OTM cattle to 96p B I Mosey, Gilling East, ave 80.3p; ewes to £45 G M & J P Midgley, Painsthorpe, ave £34.80.

Updated: 16:07 Wednesday, February 15, 2006