Basic Payment Scheme Update Supplement to our July 2014 update Please read this update in addition to our Basic Payment Scheme 2015 Update for Farmers - England (July 2014). Further to the information already provided, DEFRA has now issued additional guidance. Please note that the European Commission is still to finalise the guidance about some elements of greening, however this is what we do know: ■ If you make a BPS claim – the 3 greening rules are compulsory: 1. Permanent Grassland 2. Crop Diversification 3. Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) ■ There is an extensive list of what counts as a crop, which is being added to continually. Care needs to be taken as to the genus of crop, as individual crops within a single species count as one crop e.g. cabbage and cauliflower. ■ Spring and Winter varieties of eligible crops will count as separate crops for the crop diversification rules. The National List and the Processors and Growers Research Organisation’s (PGRO) Recommended List both have details on whether a crop is a spring or winter variety. If a variety is not listed, such as, 'Belipi' this must be counted as Spring. ■ You will need to keep evidence of seed purchases/cleaning royalty paperwork to prove the variety used and its status. There will be an inspection period between 1 May and 30 June ("cropping period") where the RPA will inspect a sample 5% of claimants. Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) Buffer strips must be: next to watercourses, or parallel with, and on a slope leading to, a watercourse. To qualify under the EFA rules buffer strips must have a minimum width of 1 metre (this should be measured from the top of the bank where buffer strips are next to watercourses). The same buffer strips can be used to meet both greening and cross compliance rules. Leguminous crops count towards EFA. Pasture legumes qualify if grown on their own. If grown in mixtures with grass then are either temporary or permanent grassland. A list of eligible leguminous crops and pasture legumes has now been published. Hedges qualify for EFA providing that both sides of the hedge are in your management control and next to arable crops (with no dividing ditch). Further details are still awaited from the European Commission regarding hedges where management is one side only and next to non-arable land – more details expected in October. If you use hedges as part of your EFA, there could be a delay receiving the BPS 2015 payment. These must consist of a sown mix of at least 2 different cover types (1 cereal and 1 non-cereal) that: establish quickly, achieve ground cover and utilise available nutrients. Catch crops must be established by 31 August and retained until at least 1 October (in the same year). Establish cover crops by 1 October and retain until at least 15 January. Fallow period 1 January to 30 June in the scheme year, have a minimum width of 2 metres (a minimum area of 0.01ha) and not have any crop planted or sown during the fallow period. Fallow land includes wild bird seed mixes and nectar flower mixes. Cross compliance rules still apply. Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 9LD t: 01223 841841 | f: 01223 845150 | bidwells.co.uk 1 Basic Payment Scheme Update 14 August 2014 Holding: all the land a farmer manages and uses for agricultural activities in the UK, under one Single Business Identifier (SBI). Eligible agricultural area: is made up of arable land; permanent grassland; permanent crops. Arable land: land cultivated for crop production; fallow land and temporary grassland. Permanent grassland: used to grow grasses or other herbaceous forage for 5 years or more. Permanent crops: will occupy the land for 5 years or more including short rotation coppice; nursery crops; multi-annual crops. ■ Since the update in April it has now been decided that all land in England is deemed 'naturally kept in a state for cultivation and grazing'. ■ Only the business activities assessment will apply for the Active Farmer Test. ■ All of the GAECs and most of the SMRs have been renumbered and some GAECs have been split or merged into other rules. ■ There will be new rules for soils, with the Soil Protection Review being removed. Stone banks or earth banks must not be removed. ■ Control of weeds on Agricultural land which is not in agricultural production will be merged into the BPS eligibility rules. More information will be provided on this in November. ■ Sewage sludge and control of foot and mouth disease, certain animal diseases and bluetongue will be removed. ■ Landscape feature rules will be grouped together: a longer ‘no trimming’ season for hedges will run from 1 March until 31 August 2015. This will also apply to trees from the start of 2015. ■ Please be aware that you will shortly be receiving communication regarding the changes to the new online RPA system. It is advised that further information regarding outstanding issues will be published in October Click here to view July's update Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 9LD t: 01223 841841 | f: 01223 845150 | bidwells.co.uk 2