Yorkshire farmers seek more guidance on Single Farm Payment
24/03/05

Mixed messages on the Single Farm Payment continue to confuse farmers, according to the Masstock group(1). In a bid to clarify the rules and help farmers apply the reams of new regulations, the group has been holding a number of meetings in the region, attended by over 350 local farmers.

"Those who attended our meeting at Central Science Laboratory at York recently found it a very valuable chance to identify the opportunities the new regime has to offer," comments sales manager for Kenneth Wilson Jim Tozer. "But it was clear from the questions raised that farmers in Yorkshire still need clarification on how a number of specific issues will affect them."

Questions were asked on how to interpret new Cross Compliance regulations and how fruit, vegetable and potato (FVP) farmers can rent land and protect the landlord's Single Payment Entitlements(2). How to calculate set-aside entitlements on mixed farms with permanent and temporary grass and the new Entry Level Stewardship Scheme were also a concern.

"Rules governing potatoes are causing a major complication for growers who rent land for these crops," points out James More from Masstock Farm Consultancy(3), who spoke at the meetings.

Growers are allocated FVP (fruit, vegetable and potato) authorisations based on the area they grew in 2003, he explains. But landlords are only prepared to let land on an annual basis if their entitlement to claim the single payment on that land is protected. These entitlements are allocated to the person who claims in 2005, and the claimant has to have the land at his disposal for ten months or more.

"Landlords and growers must have a written agreement and seek good professional advice to ensure that their individual objectives are clearly addressed within the Single Payment Scheme rules in that agreement."

The new Cross Compliance regulations, issued by DEFRA, must be followed for farmers to qualify for the SFP, notes Mr More. These include a number of requirements to ensure land is kept in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition. "The difficulty here is that the rules are open to interpretation and the environment is not an exact science. It is important that all farmers apply them correctly, and this really comes down to the specific situation on farm."

Although details of the Entry-Level Stewardship scheme have only just been announced, Mr More took the opportunity at the packed meeting to give farmers some valuable pointers. "Any ELS features you establish, such as field margins, must not include the compulsory 2m protection zones you need for Cross-Compliance. We have provided information on how to include ELS features and manage them in a way that suits the management objectives of the farm."

Mr Tozer notes that farmer feedback from the meeting suggests it has been a great success in terms of raising awareness of the issues involved. "We've been keen to stress to our customers that the SFP does offer clear opportunities to improve farm profitability. But there's clearly a lot of work that still has to be done to address specific concerns."

Alongside the SFP meetings, Kenneth Wilson has run a series of fertiliser breakfast meetings with Kemira Grow-how. "Our aim is to raise awareness and understanding of responsible fertiliser usage, especially in light of the need to cross comply. Fertiliser makes up a large proportion of the growers' costs. Just a little attention spent on fine-tuning phosphate and potash inputs, for example, can bring big dividends in terms of yield and quality."

As with other Masstock group companies, Kenneth Wilson has experienced, BETA-qualified agronomists, an environmental specialist and the back-up from MFC, recognised as one of the leading farm business consultancies, points out Mr Tozer. "So we're one of the few businesses in the area that is fully equipped to help farmers take on the challenges they face and succeed."