Is “change” the new “constant” in farming? – South East Farmer

For a long time, we have been used to support under the Basic Payment Scheme. We knew how it worked and what we needed to do to qualify. Recently, however, there has been a steady flow of announcements from the Rural Payments Agency moving away from the Basic Payment Scheme towards environmentally focused opportunities. Understandably this has been met with worry in the farming community about the potential of loss of support and unease about the financial security for farms.

At a recent Canterbury Farmers meeting, I chatted with industry representatives whose message was that the long-term survival of farms lies both with diversification and with maximising every new opportunity. The new schemes, Countryside Stewardship (CS) and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), symbolise a substantial shift in UK agricultural policy while offering the opportunity for farmers to assess, adapt and innovate for the long-term benefit of the business.

Under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), from 22 July 2024 farmers will have 102 new actions for which they will be eligible to make claims. Stand-out actions for me include:

• ‘HEF1 Maintain weatherproof traditional farm or forestry buildings’, for which farmers can claim £5/m2. Eligible buildings are those that were built pre-1940, remain in agricultural use and are weatherproof.
• ‘CHRW3 Maintain or establish hedgerow trees’, for which farmers can claim £10 per 100 metres for both sides of the hedgerow. Although the subsidy is not considerable, the appeal is in the capital grant, which pays £17.22/m for gapping up and £22.97/m for planting new hedgerows.
• ‘CAHL3 Grassy field, corners and blocks’, where the objective is to leave the area to naturally regenerate for three years, establishing a tussocky grass sward. This action is attractive as it pays £590/ha and avoids the seed and management costs which other wildflower actions require. Many farms are eligible for specific support without having to change.

For example, growers can be paid for carrying out a soil management plan, integrated pest management plan and nutrient management plan. It may sound complicated, but putting it simply:

• Make sure you or your agronomist has carried out a soil analysis
• Try to manage chemical inputs through practices such as following disease forecast models and using physical pest barriers
• Incorporate a planned fertiliser programme into your regime.

Of course, we are already implementing many of these practices as we strive to optimise our natural resources and reduce costs, especially regarding inputs such as fertiliser and chemicals which have seen significant inflation in the past few years.

I guess it’s a case of adapt or die. With the current uncertainty in the political environment, we can expect all manner of policy changes in the coming months and years. Those farms that embrace the opportunities of the changing landscape will undoubtedly prosper, the key to success being their ability to keep up to date with the latest changes and maximise these opportunities.

There is going to be lots to take on board, so don’t go it alone; make sure you are surrounded by trusted advisers with the expertise to give you the right advice and the time to do the research to keep up to date with the opportunities as they arise.

While the only guarantees in life are death and taxes, in farming at least the only constant now is change.

For help and advice with Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive, talk to your Hutchinsons agronomist or give me a call.