9165 - BM Outlook 2022 R6 - Flipbook - Page 8
A less intensive way of farming
Moving to a less intensive way of farming
is vital to allow soils to recover and can
create a real ‘win-win’ situation. “Using less
chemicals creates less run-off from fields
and also cuts input costs, while fewer
cultivations saves time and diesel, so
regenerative techniques can significantly
improve margins as well as benefiting the
environment,” Charlotte went on.
But it’s not simple. “The transition to
regenerative agriculture can take 20 years,
and no two farms are the same. Farmers
need to be prepared to learn from their
mistakes, and the important thing is to
make a start.”
Switching to a more sustainable way
of farming will also open up grant
opportunities, with ELMS clearly aimed
at ‘greening’ the countryside and capital
grants available for such things as electric
fencing to support mob grazing. “The grant
system is geared towards technology, so
you need to be heading in the right direction
to benefit from what’s available.”
The Sustainable Farming Initiative, the
lowest tier of the ELMS rollout, focuses
on green cover, which will mean a change
for many in the South East who still leave
their fields with bare stubble. “This is a key
time for farmers to challenge themselves
to learn new ways of doing things,” said
Charlotte. “Things like blanket spraying
really are out but, given the cost of sprays,
that’s not a bad thing.”
Charlotte also reassured farmers that the
new ELMS schemes would develop over
time, pointing out that the Countryside
Stewardship Scheme had had its fair share
of teething troubles but had now matured
into a valuable grant for many people.
“The transition to
regenerative agriculture
can take 20 years, and
no two farms are the
same. Farmers need to be
prepared to learn from
their mistakes, and the
important thing is to
make a start.”
“You just need to go for it, plug at least
part of the gap left by the BPS withdrawal
and start the journey,” she said. “It will get
better. Learn about cover crops, invest in
a variable rate fertiliser spreader or move
to an injection slurry system. The time to
start is now.”
Stressing the need to carry out a full
analysis, Charlotte pointed out that the
Future Farm Resilience programme
offered free professional advice that could
prove invaluable. “Relying on BPS allowed
farms to avoid issues such as profitability,
unlike any other business sector in the
UK,” she said. “A lot of farms didn’t bother
with business plans, targets, etc – but
they need to start now.
“There’s lots to read and lots to learn, and
at the end of the day the country still needs
farmers to grow food,” she said, adding a
call for farmers to be more “collaborative”
in discussing ideas with their neighbours.
“Farmers need to take advantage of
environmental opportunities as well
as supporting quality food production.
They need to use the right land for the
right purpose, and that can mean taking
professional advice, understanding
what they have and setting out a land
management plan.
On carbon storage, Charlotte warned
against ‘opportunists’. She highlighted
that the unregulated nature of the market
meant prices currently ranged from £7 to
£50 per tonne, which made it important
not to jump into selling carbon credits too
early, and pointed to the Woodland Carbon
Code as the only fully fledged scheme
currently in operation.
(See www.woodlandcarboncode.org.uk)
Other new opportunities farmers need
to be aware of are those that will follow
the introduction of biodiversity net gain
requirements as part of the Environment
Act. Developers who can’t provide a
10% improvement in biodiversity on a
site will be looking to local farmers to
provide the improvements off site–in
return for hard cash.
Similar opportunities are also now following
councils’ insistence on water and nutrient
neutrality, with off-site ‘deals’ becoming
the way forward for many house builders
looking to get schemes off the blocks.
“One recent example saw a developer
funding a new rainwater capture scheme
for a nearby livestock farmer to offset the
water usage created by the new homes he
wanted to build in a water neutrality zone,”
Charlotte explained.
Lump Sum Exit Scheme
The Lump Sum Exit Scheme will be available to farmers
wishing to retire or leave farming altogether in exchange
for a single lump-sum payment of up to £99,875. Eligible
applicants must have claimed Basic Payments in 2018 or
earlier and they must ‘retire’ from farming by transferring
away their agricultural land (so it is not at their disposal),
relinquishing or transferring grazing and commons rights
and surrendering their BPS entitlements.
Applicants will be able to keep a maximum of five
hectares of agricultural land, woodland and any land
entered into a woodland creation scheme and can also
work as a contractor or employee of other farmers.
Those wishing to take advantage of the scheme will not
be eligible for BPS payments, delinked payments or some
aspects of the new Environmental Land Management
Scheme. The scheme will be open to applications from
April 2022 to September 2022.
“As with all the new schemes, it’s
important to take professional advice to
ensure the best deal. It’s not just about
farming and a subsidy anymore – it’s
about understanding the opportunities
and making the most of them.”
Farmers need to use the right land for the right purpose, and that can mean taking professional advice
6 | Outlook
Agriculture | 7