There are changes afoot and they could impact your 2016 BPS claim. With up to 30% of your farm payment at stake, NFU senior BPS adviser, Richard Wordsworth, sets out how you can get ahead on greening for 2016.
He writes:
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These are the changes to greening for 2016:
- Oilseed radish can now count - as part of a mix - as an Ecological Focus Area (EFA) catch and/or cover crop in 2016
- Buffer strips and hedges can now be up to five metres away from arable land, rather than needing to be immediately next to arable land, under EFA
- Clarification has been issued on following one EFA land option after another in different BPS scheme years
- In certain situations, there is the ability to find alternative EFA areas following submission of the claim form
- EFA fallow cultivation management change in relation to grassland establishment.
Greening is an annual consideration
If you are claiming BPS you must follow the greening rules every year, although some farmers might not need to do anything differently to meet them.
You should annually review and update your greening calculations for crop diversification and EFA requirements. Now is a good time to do this to ensure that what is being grown or planned to be grown on the farm is compliant with greening and, in particular, crop diversification and EFA requirements.
It is important to bear in mind that these greening calculations are impacted by the level of arable land present on farm. Therefore, if there is a change in arable area (taken on more land or a change in cropping) then the number and areas of crops required under crop diversification and the amount of land / features that makes up your minimum 5% EFA will be different from what you entered onto the 2015 BP5 form.
Here’s my final word on this… for now
Please do not assume that arguably minor changes in greening mean you do not need to do anything to secure this 30% or so of your BPS payments.
Some of you may have unwittingly approached greening incorrectly for 2015, so it is better to find out now and not compound a problem from 2015 into 2016.
If you have any questions on greening please call NFU CallFirst on 0370 8458458 and the team will be able to help you.