The capital grants available under Mid-Tier CSS are aimed at improving water and air quality on farms and estates in England by reducing the amount of diffuse pollution and ammonia being released.

The funding will enable farmers to invest in items such as livestock and machinery hardcore tracks, concrete yard renewal, self-supporting slurry covers, lined bio-beds and the roofing of silage camps, collecting yards, muck heaps, slurry and silage stores.

Alice Johnson, farm business consultant in the Northallerton office of Strutt & Parker, explained that farmers thinking of applying to any of the funding options that require CSFO support must make contact with their local team by early June, despite the deadline for Mid-Tier applications being mid-August.

“The guidance states that you must fill out a CSF support request form and send it to your local CSF mailbox at least 10 weeks before you intend to submit your application to the Rural Payments Agency.

“Given the closing date for Mid-Tier applications is 18 August 2023 this means farmers should get their CSF support request forms in by 9 June, or the guidance says the request will not be considered,” she said.

To be granted approval by the CSFO, applicants will need to demonstrate how the proposed investment will prevent water or air pollution. Ms Johnson explained funding will be prioritised for projects that are expected to achieve the largest improvements in water and air quality and reduction in flood risk.

Farmers can choose to apply for the grants either under the standalone three-year Capital Grants scheme, or as part of a wider five-year Mid-Tier CSS agreement which includes other land management options.

Standalone Capital Grants applications also require CSFO approval, however, these can be requested at any time during the year as there is no hard application deadline for standalone grants.

To keep funding options open, Ms Johnson recommends submitting a CSF request even if farmers are not sure whether to apply for CSS or wait for the new Sustainable Farming Incentives (SFI) to be rolled out this summer.

“At this stage we know that new SFI standards will be rolled out this summer, but we don’t know exactly when. Hopefully, it will be well ahead of the 18 August deadline for Mid-Tier applications, so farmers can make a considered choice between CSS or SFI,” she said.

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Having awarded over 2,000 STEPS grants to date, Severn Trent’s aim over the course of 2023 is to continue to partner with more farmers and landowners across the water company’s 48 priority catchments.

To broaden the outreach of STEPS, this year match funding is available for Closed Transfer Systems (CTS), which enable fast, clean and safe chemical transfer to and from sprayers. CTS are a great alternative for pesticide management, especially for farms that can’t accommodate a full-size pesticide wash down area.

Funding to help improve biodiversity and protect natural habitats is also available under the remit of ‘Spring STEPS’. This scheme has a shorter application window ending on 31^st October, while farmers can apply for the main STEPS funding until 31^st December 2023.

Dr Alex Cooke, principal catchment management scientist at Severn Trent, explained that both elements of STEPS offer flexible funding options for a wide range of on-farm environmental projects.

“The main STEPS match funding is available to those in priority catchments to address issues such as nitrates, pesticides and cryptosporidium reaching watercourses and help to keep our rivers healthy,” she said.

Options for different catchment areas include:

Pesticide catchment areas:

• Closed Transfer Systems (CTS) for pesticides
• Pesticide washdown areas, including roofing
• Riverside grass margins
• Biobeds and biofilters
• Alternative weed management in grassland fields
• Precision pesticide application equipment

Nitrate catchment areas:

• Cover crops
• Grass margins

Cryptosporidium catchment areas:

• Livestock fencing along watercourses
• Hard bases for drinking troughs
• Roofed livestock handling and manure storage areas
• Constructed wetlands

While farmers can choose an array of funding options, Dr Cooke strongly recommends choosing a priority item specific to the catchment to ensure applications are competitive. This could include the new closed transfer system, pesticide washdown areas, cover crops or livestock fencing.

“‘Farmer innovation’ options are also available,” she continued. “In instances where the main STEPS options aren’t appropriate for your farming business, these options allow farms to suggest an alternative way to help protect water quality and the environment, that benefits the individual enterprise.”

Meanwhile, Spring STEPS works in a similar format to the wider grant programme with a focus on biodiversity projects. Available funding options include:

• Annual pollinator mix
• Planting herbal leys
• Wildflower margins and mini meadows
• Feeding farmland birds
• Flowering summer cover crops
• Spring sown bird seed crops

Dr Cooke encouraged farmers and landowners to visit the Severn Trent website or contact their local agricultural adviser to find out more.

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The funding is intended to replace EU grants channelled into England’s rural areas while giving local leaders more say in the allocation of money. It can be used by eligible local authorities to invest in initiatives such as farm diversification, projects to boost rural tourism, and community infrastructure projects including electric vehicle charging stations.

Start-up businesses will also benefit from the funds to facilitate growth and create employment opportunities in rural areas.

The confirmed allocations include over £5 million for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, £3m for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, over £3 million for North of Tyne, over £2.5 million for West Yorkshire, £2.5 million for Shropshire and almost £1 million for Cheshire East. Investment decisions are left to local authorities, some of which are running individual project calls.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which offers £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment to support levelling up across the UK. The £110 million additional funding will be allocated by Defra between 2023 and 2025. Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

“Driving investment in rural areas is a vital part of our vision for levelling up the country. The new Rural Prosperity Fund replaces the bureaucratic EU funding system – allowing us to work closely with local leaders to direct funding where it is most needed to close the rural productivity gap, create job opportunities and protect the English countryside.

“This confirmed spending will allow local authorities to deliver on their plans to level up businesses and communities in rural areas from today [7^th April], in line with their residents’ priorities.”

Commenting on the announcement, Country Land and Business president Mark Tufnell said: “The rural economy is 19% less productive than the national average, but reducing this gap could add up to £43 billion to the economy.

“This funding is an important step in unlocking the vast potential of rural businesses, and will give startups as well as existing enterprises the support they need to grow.

“We strongly encourage Local Authorities to work closely with rural entrepreneurs to maximise the opportunities the Rural England Prosperity Fund presents, identifying every possible opportunity to generate economic growth – creating good jobs and strengthening our communities in the process,” he added.

The money will be spent on two key areas across rural England:

• Communities and place: projects to improve community facilities such as green spaces and boost access to arts and culture to grow local tourism economies.
• Supporting local businesses: projects to support agricultural businesses looking to expand their remit, and rural businesses looking to launch or grow their products and services.

The announcement follows the ‘Delivering for Rural England’ rural proofing report, which outlines the government’s approach to tackling rural challenges and creating opportunities in a bid to level up the country.

Progress has already been made in the space of promoting high-quality digital infrastructure through the Shared Rural Network and Project Gigabit. For example, 30% of rural premises now have access to gigabit-capable connections compared with 19% in January 2021.

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Better slurry management on farms will reduce the amount of pollution runoff into rivers and streams, benefitting local communities and the wider environment.

To break down the financial barriers to upgrading slurry stores, nearly £34 million will be made available through the first round of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant – more than two-and-a-half times the original budget.

Guidance will also be released for the second round of the Water Management Grant, set to open for applications later in April. The scheme will provide £10 million in funding to help farmers manage their water use through better irrigation and more on-farm reservoirs.

Moreover, the government’s new Plan for Water was published on 4^th April, providing data on water resources and the quality of water throughout the UK.

The aim of the publication is to transform the whole water system – addressing every source of pollution, including from storm overflows, agriculture, plastics, road run-off, chemicals and pesticides, as well as the pressures on our water supply as a result of climate change and population growth.

The government has also doubled funding to £15 million to give free advice to farmers across the country through the Catchment Sensitive Farming scheme. It is hoped the additional funding will accelerate the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which will help farmers use their land in a way that keeps valuable nutrients and soil on the farm.

Commenting on the announcement, farming minister Mark Spencer said: “Communities across the country want to see clean and plentiful water in our rivers and streams, and farmers have a huge role in helping to deliver this.

“We know that farmers want to do the right thing, which is why – as part of today’s Plan for Water – we’re providing even more funding for farmers both to reduce their water pollution from slurry and better manage the water on their farms.”

With around half of slurry stores in England not being fit-for-purpose, the Slurry Infrastructure Grant provides farmers with between £25,000-£250,000 to build, replace or expand storage and can contribute towards a range of solutions like lagoons, steel and concrete ring tanks and large slurry bags.

The first round of the grant saw 1,200 applications received by Defra, and while the government wants to help as many farmers as possible, the high demand for grants must be balanced with the capacity of slurry store suppliers to increase production.

So far, 374 projects have been invited to submit a full application and receive a share of £33.9 million in funding – up from £13.2 million when the grant was first announced last year. This takes into account the types of store farmers have applied for, as well as an assessment of what the market could handle following conversations with suppliers and installers.

Meanwhile, the second round of the Water Management Grant will see £10 million in funding made available for farmers to improve farm productivity through more efficient use of water for irrigation and constructing on-farm reservoirs to secure water supplies for crop irrigation.

To support farms of all sizes, grants will range in value from £35,000 to £500,000. Applications will open later in April with an online checker available to help farmers determine their eligibility and likelihood of success.

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The SFI payment scheme aims to encourage sustainable food production while reducing the environmental impact of farming. Using a theoretical model farm and applying all options that will be available by summer 2023, GSC Grays experts have calculated SFI payments could exceed historic Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments (£232.22/ha in 2020).

However, to achieve the higher rate, farmers must already manage the land within a regenerative system or be prepared to make the necessary investments and changes to their farming operations, GSC Grays added.

These include incorporating cover crops and companion crops within arable rotations, the widespread use of legumes within improved grassland, abandoning insecticides, investing in precision farming equipment, switching to a no-till system and establishing environmental buffer strips and plots.

Farmers must also note that payment rates per hectare will vary according to farm size, and larger farms could see some payments diluted by virtue of their scale.

Following Defra’s February announcement of six additional standards for SFI and indication of payment rates for a further 4 standards available in summer 2023, GSC Grays has put together a table showing what this means in practice.

The table (see below) is based on a 200 ha mixed farm comprising 100 ha of arable land, 70 ha of improved grassland and 30 ha of unimproved grassland with an extensive application of the SFI Standards, assuming options are maximised where possible.

It should be noted that ‘Avg. Payment’ rates for some standards listed in the table will vary by farm, as standards combine a variety of payment rates and ambition levels, resulting in varying averages. Moreover, there are still grey areas within the SFI guidance such as the requirements and confirmed payment rates of the standards to be released this summer.

Jamie Charlton, GSC Grays farm business consultant, said: “Up to now, the payment rates released by DEFRA to encourage the transition to a regenerative farming model have not provided sufficient financial incentive to justify making the switch.”

However, with further standards now on the way, he added: “ We expect to see an increase in businesses questioning whether their current farming system is the most profitable and sustainable within the new support payment structure.”

While the cost of applying these transitions will vary by farm, Mr Charlton said these must be evaluated against the possible cost-savings achieved as a result. These could include reduced fuel consumption and fertiliser use, improved water retention due to better soil health, and higher yields due to enhanced ecosystem services.

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Stock photo for illustration purposes only.

The funding will support projects developing robotic crop harvesting for horticulture, an autonomous system to change cows’ bedding to improve their health, welfare and productivity, and an environmentally-friendly approach to potato cultivation.

The three winning projects have been awarded grants through the Large R&D Partnership competition, part of the government’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme, a second round of which is currently open for applications.

The Farming Innovation Programme is part of the government’s commitment to spend around £600 million on grants to provide support for farmers to invest in productivity, animal health and welfare, innovation, research and development over three years. Funding for the programme is provided from the £2.4 billion annual farming budget.

Alongside the ongoing roll-out of the Environmental Land Management schemes, the grants will help deliver long-term sustainable food production and support farmers to halt and reverse the decline of nature as set out in the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “It’s important that we fund projects like these – and those still to come in future rounds – as we support farmers to deliver sustainable food production and protect the environment.”

Meanwhile, Katrina Hayter, Interim Executive Director Healthy Living & Agriculture, Innovate UK, commented:

“These projects have all demonstrated not only an innovative solution to a real-life, on-farm problem, but also the value of partnerships and collaboration between different sector experts. For novel technology to truly succeed, it needs the input of the farmers themselves for the day-to-day realities of its use.”

“We’re really pleased that these partnerships have this idea at their core, and we now look forward to working with them as they develop their solutions further and bring the benefits to life.”

Successful projects offer innovative solutions to practical problems

With labour shortages affecting the horticulture sector around the world, automation offers huge opportunities to reduce costs and labour requirements. Led by APS Produce, the Agri-Opencore project has been awarded over £3.8m to accelerate the delivery of robotic crop systems for horticulture.

The funding will help the project create the world’s first open development platform (software and hardware) for agri-robotic crop harvesting.

The open development platform will enable multiple organisations to contribute, allowing cross-sector collaboration and demonstration of technologies on English farms. It is hoped that the project will help accelerate the adoption of robotic picking by two years.

APS Produce head grower Phil Pearson said: “The Agri-Opencore robotics project is an exciting and vital project for the fresh produce industry. It promises to deliver the significant progress required to automate fresh produce harvesting in the UK.

“As this work brings leading technology providers, Dogtooth, Xihelm and Wootzano, with the academic excellence of the University of Lincoln team, we can expect significant progress towards autonomous harvesting,” he added.

Aimed at the development of an autonomous cow cubicle bedding unit, the AG ARC project, led by Garnett Farm Engineering, has been awarded over £2.5m in funding.

Careful cubicle management and keeping the bedding dry and clean is vital to cow comfort, which is a key factor in reducing the risk of mastitis.

The project aims to reduce the need for manual labour by developing an intelligent robotic cubicle bedder to monitor and respond to key sensor data to optimise dispensing of bedding. This will help to boost cow health and welfare, improve farm productivity and reduce costs through efficient use of bedding.

Andrew Garnett, director at AG Products, said: “We look forward to collaborating with the University of Liverpool on this exciting project to further enhance our cattle bedding solutions to farmers, improving cow welfare and productivity.

“Our passion for innovation has seen the recent launch of the AG Duo; the AG ARC will further revolutionise the industry’s approach to cattle bedding.”

The third project to be awarded funding, Potato-LITE, is set to explore optimised systems for potato cultivation. Current systems require the soil to be cultivated to create a deep and uniform seedbed, free from stones and clods, to provide a favourable environment for potato growth.

Whilst reduced tillage technologies have enabled regenerative agriculture in cereal systems, this technology has not been developed for the production of potatoes and other root crops.

Having received funding of £2.83m, Potato-LITE will transform potato tillage through developing new cultivation equipment and systems, delivered through a leading partnership between food manufacturers (PepsiCo and McCain), a machinery manufacturer (Grimme), growers (Strawson Ltd, JRO Griffiths, H Sutton & Son and JM Bubb & Son) and research organisations (Cranfield University, Harper Adams University and CHAP).

To apply for round two of the Large R&D Partnerships competition, visit the government website here.

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CS rewards farmers for carrying out additional environmental work while continuing to produce food, ranging from restoring wildlife habitats and managing woodlands, to mitigating flood risks.

The scheme, administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on behalf of Defra, is part of government efforts to make food production more resilient and efficient whilst contributing towards the UK’s environmental goals on carbon, biodiversity, water quality and net zero.

Following slow initial uptake, 32,000 CS agreements are now in place across England – including nearly 26,000 Mid Tier agreements – a 94% increase since 2020. Based on farmer feedback, the government has continued to improve the scheme by:

• Removing the limit on the value of capital items in the water or air quality, hedgerow and boundary, or natural flood management priorities
• Broadening the offer o support natural flood management, create more areas of scrub, and reduce nitrogen inputs in groundwater
• Improving the application process to make it easier for farmers and land managers, with a new online application service; the removal of the need for farmers to request an application pack before starting their application; automatic checks to enable applications to be processed quicker; and an annual declaration
• Increasing revenue payment rates by an average of 10% and capital payment rates by 48%

Moreover, the government is promising further improvements to the scheme, with around 30 additional actions released by the end of 2024, as well as greater flexibility over when farmers can apply and how they manage their agreements. There will also be improved access for tenant farmers and increased access to Higher Tier options and agreements.

Last but not least, a new CS Plus scheme will reward farmers for working with neighbouring farms and landowners to support climate and environmental goals, while facilitating testing of innovative payment mechanisms, such as payment by results.

Farming minister Mark Spencer said CS has something to offer for every type of farm and encouraged farmers to take advantage of the support available.

“With the latest application window opening today, I urge farmers to take a look at the full range of options and capital items available and consider the improved application process and the removal of the limit on capital grants to see if they could benefit in 2024.”

Meanwhile, RPA chief executive Paul Caldwell commented: “We are continuing to improve Countryside Stewardship, building on the successes we have achieved already, which has seen more farmers and land managers applying and we want to do more.

“With a broadened offer and improvements to the application process, this is a great opportunity for those new to agri-environment schemes and those who may have decided not to apply in the past, and I would urge farmers and land managers to get involved where possible.”

What’s new in 2024 Mid Tier agreements

Farmers applying to CS Mid Tier agreements from today onwards have a number of new options available, such as supporting natural flood management, creating more areas of scrub, and reducing nitrogen inputs in groundwater, alongside others.

Whereas, existing Wildlife Offers for arable, mixed, lowland grazing and uplands farmers provide a package of actions aimed at supporting wildlife on farms by providing sources of nectar and pollen for pollinators and winter food and improved habitats for birds.

Applications can also be submitted today for multi-year grants, where payments are made annually for five years, as well as a range of grants for specific capital works including capital to help prevent water and air pollution, support natural flood management, and create or restore hedgerows.

As mentioned above, the limit on the value of capital items that can be included in a Mid Tier agreements has been removed. Dedicated advice to support management of water and air pollution and natural flood management is also available from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) officers in all catchments

Applications for 2024 can be made via the Rural Payments Service, and a number of improvements have been made to simplify the administration process.

With the help of the new online application service, it’s now clearer and easier for farmers and land managers to submit an application. Farmers simply need to accept and download an agreement, there is no longer a need to request an application pack. Checks will be carried out automatically going forward, enabling the RPA to process applications much faster.

To further reduce the administrative burden on applicants, the RPA has also introduced an annual declaration as part of the CS claim, making the process even quicker for farmers.

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Mobile sheep handling systems such as the Alligator Pro are eligible for grant funding in England and Wales.

According to details published by the RPA on 9^th February, grants under the second round of FETF will be issued for equipment in two main categories: Productivity and Slurry items (Annex 3) and Animal Health and Welfare items (Annex 4).

Within Annex 4, mobile sheep handling systems (FETF69*) capable of handling a minimum of 250 sheep away from the farm’s main holding (and consisting of at least 20 hurdles, a drafting and dosing race and the ability to fit a footbath) are eligible for grant funding to the amount of £3,568. These include units manufactured by Allflex and Prattley.

To be eligible for grant funding, mobile handling systems must be trailer mounted and of all-metal construction. The Alligator, Alligator Pro and Prattley ranges all fall within the required standards and are therefore available at a reduced price through the funding scheme.

Annex 4 also provides grant funding for sheep handlers (up to £1,166), automatic weighing and drafting crates (£5,478 funding), EID panel readers (£597 funding) and electronic weigh crates (£1,020 funding).

Farmers in Wales can also access grants similar to FETF through the Welsh Government’s small grants efficiency scheme.

Beverley Taylor, trade solutions marketing manager for MSD Animal Health, commented: “With farm margins being squeezed by high production costs, it comes as welcome relief that farmers are able to offset around 40% of the cost of key items of equipment through the second round of the Government’s Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.

“It is also reassuring to note that equipment which improves the health and welfare of animals – such as dedicated safe handling systems – has been prioritised within the latest round of grants.”

Making equipment such as sheep handling units more affordable will help farmers better understand and manage growth rates, identify under-performing animals, and ensure stock are finished safely and at the optimum weight, she added.

Moreover, the additional efficiency will make for more environmentally sustainable sheep farming systems in the long run, Ms Taylor explained.

Supporting innovation in the livestock sector

Through the latest round of FETF, livestock farmers in England can also apply to fund herd monitoring systems such as SenseHub and Dataflow II from MSD Animal Health. What’s more, farmers now have the option to use the company’s fertility and health monitoring systems on a subscription basis with no upfront costs, further increasing affordability.

Within Annex 3 of the scheme, heat detection systems (FETF90*) and their associated ear tags and neck collars (FETF91*) are eligible for grant funding to the amounts of £740 and £29 (per tag or collar) respectively.

The costs of investing in a herd monitoring system can also be spread with MSD Animal Health’s simple and affordable ‘GO’ subscription model, available for all SenseHub and Dataflow II application plans.

The GO subscription model enables dairy and beef cows to be monitored for fertility and health purposes with zero upfront costs.

GO gives users access to all the necessary equipment, installation, tags and applications for a single monthly fee and allows full flexibility as farmers’ needs change. The service can be used to monitor multiple groups of animals with MSD Animal Health’s intelligent ear tags and/or neck collars and includes priority customer support and training.

Paul Mitcham, Nationals Sales Manager (Monitoring) MSD Animla Health, commented: “The GO package highlights MSD Animal Health’s commitment to provide a fully supported, service-based solution to herd improvement by offering dairy and beef farmers an affordable, simple and flexible route into the use of herd monitoring technologies.

“All tags, software and ancillary hardware are also automatically updated as and when new upgrades are launched, with farmers therefore able to enjoy all the benefits of herd monitoring – improved herd fertility, enhanced productivity and fewer health issues – without any of the upfront costs, servicing expenses or renewal charges associated with more traditional purchasing models,” he added.

For those who prefer to purchase their monitoring equipment upfront, SenseHub and Dataflow II will remain available to purchase via MSD Animal Health’s ‘UP’ purchase scheme.

For more information and to apply for funding, visit the government website here.

Reducing the risk of low productivity

To help sheep farmers prevent unwanted flock health issues, MSD Animal Health has recently launched its FlockCheck diagnostic scheme, through which producers in England, Scotland and Wales can ask their vet to blood test their flock for exposure to toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion (EAE).

Ewe reproductive failure, neonatal lamb disease and mortality are the three biggest limiting factors to flock productivity, with toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion continuing to be among the most common causes.

Therefore, farmers experiencing more than 2% of their flock being barren or aborting this lambing season are being encouraged to contact their vet to take advantage of the subsidised diagnostic scheme.

FlockCheck allows vets to identify whether toxoplasmosis or EAE (or both) are likely to have been involved in any aborted lamb losses, barren ewes or numbers of weak, sickly lambs, aiding the decision for pre-tupping vaccination programmes. This year’s scheme commenced on 1^st February and will run until 30^th June 2023.

MSD Animal Health veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith recommends farmers use the scheme to request blood samples from six to eight aborted, unvaccinated ewes, or from barren ewes or ones that have produced weakly lambs.

She added that blood tests have proven to be an extremely useful flock diagnostic tool in terms of helping to identify the potential presence of any key underlying productivity limiting disease.

According to Dr Baxter-Smith, abortion caused by either toxoplasmosis or EAE can be responsible for reducing the number of lambs per ewes mated, which can increase workload and stress during lambing. Profit may also be reduced significantly, however, FlockCheck can help farmers improve their flock’s overall economic performance.

Toxoplasmosis can be controlled effectively by a simple vaccination regime before ewes go to the ram later in the year.

“(…) Toxoplasmosis, caused by infection with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, does not just cause abortion. It is also the main infectious cause of early embryo loss in sheep and a very common cause of barren ewes or weak, sickly live lambs.

“It is likely that almost all flocks in Great Britain have been in contact with this endemic parasite, which means all breeding sheep should be considered at risk.”

Dr Baxter-Smith explained the primary reason for such high levels of the disease is that sheep can become infected very easily.

“Sheep pick up the toxoplasma parasite from the environment and so normal biosecurity measures are not enough to control the disease.

“Fortunately, the disease can be controlled effectively by a simple vaccination regime. In reality, every ewe should ideally be vaccinated before she breeds because of the widespread disease threat and the significant financial losses,” she said.

Sheep farmers interested in taking advantage of this industry support from MSD Animal Health should contact their local practice as soon as possible.

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The application window for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the claim window for existing Countryside Stewardship (CS) revenue and Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreements has opened today (Tuesday 14th March).

Basic Payment Scheme

Last year, BPS advance payments were made in the summer for the first time to help farmers with their cashflow, with balance payments made from December. This change to the BPS payment cycle will continue and this year advance payments of around 50% of the total will be made from the start of August 2023.

Direct Payments, currently paid through BPS, are being steadily phased out through to 2027 as the government introduces the Environmental Land Management schemes. As part of this process, the Rural Payments Agency plans to replace BPS with delinked payment based on a farmer’s average BPS payments for the 2020 to 2022 scheme years. The payments will be reduced each year as they are phased out. Farmers must claim and be eligible for BPS payments in the 2023 scheme year to receive delinked payments for 2024 to 2027.

Cross compliance will end after the 2023 scheme year and will not apply to delinked payments, although the vast majority of strong legal standards for the environment and animal health and welfare will continue and these will be enforced in a fair and proportionate way. The Rural Payments Agency will work with farmers to get it right and give them a chance to self-correct before taking stronger action, for example by increasing the use of warning letters, where appropriate, rather than immediately defaulting to payment penalties.

Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship

For 2023 the Rural Payments Agency has supplemented the existing online claim process for CS with a more straightforward annual declaration option in cases where no changes are required. This will be available in the Rural Payments service, with farmers able to generate and submit an automated revenue claim without needing to complete each section of the claim form.

All farmers must submit a claim or annual declaration for CS and ES to receive payment for works carried out in 2023.

Rural Payments Agency chief executive Paul Caldwell said: “I encourage all eligible farmers to submit their applications and claims as soon as possible to ensure that no one misses out.”

The government is committed to investing £2.4 billion per year into the farming sector for the rest of this parliament – with all the money from reduced BPS payments being reinvested into the sector through our ongoing payments and one-off grants under our Environmental Land Management schemes.

In January, the government set out detailed plans on the improved and expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship, as well as increased payment rates through Countryside Stewardship and a new SFI Management Payment worth up to £1,000 to help manage costs.

The schemes offer something for every farmer, with six further SFI standards open for applications this summer, and even more actions to be added to both schemes next year.

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David Newton, Timac Agro technical manager.

Mr Newton acknowledged that, while SFI funding aims to encourage activities which improve soil health, it can be hard to know where to begin.

“Under the current guidelines, farmers and growers can receive £22/ha at an introductory level, or £40/ha at an intermediate level for the ‘arable and horticultural soils’ standard, so it’s well worth investing in your soil health,” he said.

To help farmers get started, Mr Newton shared his top tips for meeting the new arable soils standard:

1. Take soil testing to the next level

Mr Newton recommends conducting a thorough soil test on the farm instead of only testing for basic nutrients and seeking advice from someone who can interpret the soil analysis results.

“Don’t just test for soil pH and macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) – the scheme requires a test for organic matter levels, so why not test trace elements and assess your soil structure at the same time?” he suggested.

1. Understand your soil type

“Understanding your soil type means understanding its advantages and challenges; how best to work with it and improve its health and biology,” Mr Newton explained.

Soil type influences structure and determines the soil’s capacity to retain nutrients and water, as well as its workability.

According to Mr Newton, lighter, sandier soils tend to be more acidic and prone to leaching due to their porous nature. They can also have lower organic matter levels, which has a direct effect on soil biology.

Meanwhile, heavier clay soils are more prone to compaction and poorer drainage due to smaller particle size and are also heavier to work. On the other hand, they are often more fertile and retain organic matter more efficiently, Mr Newton pointed out.

Therefore, understanding the type of soil on which we farm is key to improving soil structure and subsequently enhancing production.

3. Understand your trace elements

Mr Newton reminded farmers that crops require a range of essential nutrients for growth, which highlights the need for a more detailed soil analysis. Determining sulphur, calcium, manganese, copper, iron and boron levels in the soil can be useful in predicting deficiencies and limitations to plant growth in the future.

4. Maximise your soil biology

Encouraging soil biology to thrive is paramount to soil processes, such as the mineralisation of organic matter to provide nutrient availability for plants, Mr Newton explained.

“Using a soil conditioner, such as Humistart+, can help provide a better environment for fungi and bacteria to thrive, in turn encouraging rapid break down of organic matter and the release of nutrients.”

5. Maximise nutrient efficiency

Gaining a better understanding of soils and adopting practices that improve soil biology and fertility will lead to maximised nutrient use efficiency, Mr Newton said.

“Under the current circumstances where the cost of fertiliser is still high, improving your nutrient use efficiency is paramount, as well as reducing risks such as soil run-off and leaching – an ultimate goal the SFI standards are wishing to achieve,” he added.

For more information, visit: Humistart+ – TIMAC AGRO UK

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