News

DEFRA has now published the full guidance to the Lump Sum Exit Scheme: How to apply for a lump sum payment to leave or retire from farming - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The application form is available here: Lump Sum Exit Scheme: application form (publishing.service.gov.uk)The evidence form for land transfer and entitlement surrender is available here: Lump Sum Exit Scheme: Entitlements and Evidence form (publishing.service.gov.uk). Applications can be made until midnight on 30th September 2022. For...

In February, DEFRA opened the first round of the Landscape Recovery Pilot (see our website note of 1st February for more detail). To support potential applicants, DEFRA hosted a webinar, which is available to view online: Landscape Recovery Application Launch Webinar (Tuesday 1 March) - YouTube. DEFRA have now published the Q&A from the webinar online. Those interested in the scheme may find the answer to any questions on that page....

The CAAV has been contacted by Lucy Cooke, a fourth year Rural Enterprise and Land Management BSc (Hons) student studying at Harper Adams University. Her dissertation is to explore the perceptions of Women within Land Agency. The research includes the collection of primary data in the form of this questionnaire. The link is available here: https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/is-rural-land-agency-a-sustainable-career-for-women The questionnaire should not take longer than 15 minutes to...

The Government has published guidance for the Green Heat Network Fund, which is now open to applications until 2025. Funding is available for feasibility and construction work for low and zero carbon heat (and cooling) networks. Alongside other application criteria, in rural locations, the threshold is for a minimum of 100 dwellings to be connected.

The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme closes to new applications on 31st March 2022. The replacement Boiler Upgrade Scheme is not yet open but provisional details for the new scheme are available via this link.

DEARA has announced that a support scheme will be opened in April for those pig producers who incurred price penalties on pigs that were outside contract specifications from September 2021 to February 2022. The funding is being provided in recognition of recent market challenges in the pig sector. In total £2 million will be made available. Eligible pig producers will be invited to apply through DAERA Online Services....

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 10th March 2022 The immediate effect in produce markets of Russia’s barbaric aggression in Ukraine is the removal of large stocks of grain and oilseeds, Ukrainian and Russian, from already tight markets with 160 carriers stuck in the Black Sea. Rising prices are then increased as buyers pay dearly to replace the supplies they thought they had, some with exposed market positions – a phenomenon also seen in oil and metals...

Work on the Rural Payments system will mean that will not be available between 5pm on Thursday 10th March and 9am on Friday 11th March.

The Forestry Commission has introduced new plant health requirements to help combat the spread of Phytophthora pluvialis following further findings of the tree pathogen. See the GOV.uk website for more detail.

Potential applicants for the Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier scheme can access support and guidance by booking onto an online clinic session. The sessions will be run in mid-March. Applicants should contact their local area team. Contact details and event dates can be found online....

DAERA has confirmed that the 2022 window for the Single Application and the Entitlement Transfer Service will open on 1st March.Applications to the Entitlement Transfer Service will close on 3 MaySingle Applications must be submitted by 16 May to avoid a late claim penaltyThe last date for accepting Single Applications is 9 June See the full announcement for more detail....

With essential maintenance work on the Rural Payments system this evening, Thursday 3rd March, it will not be available between 6pm and 7pm.

Work on the Rural Payments system will mean that will not be available between 5pm on Monday 28th February and 8am on Tuesday 1st March.

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 24th February 2022 Once land was farmable, the two great endeavours to improve productive potential were draining and ensuring fertility. The Roman author, Pliny, recorded the British marling land, still in the law if little done for a century. While fallowing cropped land, using manures returned fertility in mixed farming systems. Farming improvement came to be supported by the assessment of (once significant) manurial...

Maintenance work is to be carried out on the Rural Payments system tomorrow evening 22nd February, between 6pm and 9pm. Users should not access Rural Payments during this time.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has encouraged UK businesses to bolster their cyber security resilience in preparation for potential impacts of the escalating crisis in Ukraine, with cyber attacks an identified pattern of Russian interference (such as the NotPetya attack in 2017 and the cyber attacks against Georgia. The NCSC has updated its security guidance, which provides useful information for businesses of all sizes....

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 17th February 2022 The chatter, energy and money intrigued by the talk of new environmental markets, as in carbon, can have the flavour of a gold rush in uncharted lands. Money and enthusiasm are pouring in but with considerable uncertainty about what can be bought and sold, what will have value and who will find that they carry risks when the mist lifts. Some may prove akin to the 1,350 tons of fool’s gold that Martin...

It has been reported that DEFRA are to remove the 1st January 2026 deadline for members of the public to apply to register rights of way that are not featured on definitive maps. The right was introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and it is estimated that so far 41,000 miles of paths had been identified. Within the reports there is also said to be a new landowner 'right to apply' to divert or extinguish rights of way in certain circumstances. It is unclear how this will...

The Competition and Markets Authority has now added Amazon to the list of grocery retailers subject to the Groceries Supply Code of Practice with its periods of notice for supply contracts and so the Groceries Code Adjudicator. That means that Amazon, acting through Amazon EU Sarl and Fresh & Wild Limited, is now handling over £1 billion of groceries, including food, in the United Kingdom. Amazon joins: Aldi Stores Limited Asda Stores Limited B&M Retail Limited Co-operative Group...

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 10th February 2022 With this week’s announcements, including the Lump Sum Exit Scheme and De-linking the Basic Payment, DEFRA continues to piece together its English policy jigsaw, each piece with its purpose to be seen in the context of the whole picture of the Agricultural Transition, not just on its own. Following the increased Countryside Stewardship payment rates and the Farming Transformation Fund’s Improving...