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So it's basically a much less prescriptive version of the CSS option GS3 - https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/ryegrass-seed-set-as-winter-food-for-birds-gs3 The recommended management for this CSS option includes taking 1 cut of silage before 31 May or 2 cuts of silage before the...

So I was thinking of planting a ryegrass & red clover ley for silage and am wondering whether I can claim this SFI action with it... Something like this: https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/products/410/red-clover-ley-three-four-year-mixture Can I cut twice for silage then shut it up until the...

Yes, I know, I think that would make the comparison even more interesting. We would see how unlevel the playing field is for English livestock farmers within the UK and also compared to our biggest competitor in the EU. You can find plenty of statistics showing that livestock farms' profit is...

It would be great if the Farmers Weekly, the NFU or the BFU could do a piece comparing the farm support of an English mixed/ grassland livestock farm post-transition to an equivalent Welsh farm, Scottish farm, and Irish farm. I bet the results would be so shocking for English farms that the...

Hi Janet, the above example really demonstrates the negative financial impact ELMS will have on extensive livestock farmers who already farm in an environmental way. Will DEFRA consider changing the double funding rules so that this type of farm can actually engage in SFI and stack the...

This could all be solved very quickly with a re-interpretation of the double funding rules. Allow grassland farmers who have existing CSS options like GS2, GS4, GS5, GS6, GS7 ,GS8 & GS13 to also enter these parcels into SFI grassland standards. This would mean the schemes can actually be...

Yes but you've conveniently ignored that in my post the farmer was already in stewardship. So their BPS is removed and under the new schemes, there is nothing new for them.

Stacking is generally not possible and everyone needs to understand that. The idea that we can stack the schemes is a lie. The choice on any given parcel is between SFI and stewardship, you usually can’t have both. There is very little benefit in having SFI on top of stewardship on the same farm

The money comes from the nation so that food can be produced under the real cost of production so that food prices are in turn lower. In a perfect world, there would be no farm subsidies in any country and we would all get higher prices for our produce - the problem is that in Europe & the UK...

Great so you're telling everyone to stop being negative because you have a gut feeling - not exactly critical thinking is it. I don't want to this negative but these policies have real-life consequences, livestock farmers will go out of business as a result of the decisions Defra make on future...

Compare the arable farm example above to a lowland organic farmer whose land is 100% SSSI grassland and has an existing stewardship agreement with a low & no input grassland option over the parcels. This farmer loses BPS, what can they claim back under SFI? All I can think of is that they can...

You won't replace the BPS money with the SFI scheme as currently designed so I'm not sure where you're getting your positivity from - care to explain?

Out of interest does anyone on here think they will benefit more from SFI / ELMS than they did under the old BPS regime? If so can you explain how? I imagine there are a few large conventional arable farmers who think they can make up a good chunk of the lost BPS through the arable &...

Having read through the update, I am hugely dissapointed. I really thought that after the build-up to this update, the press releases, and grand headlines that there would be meaningful development of SFI and CSS Plus. However there is very little new here - the majority of the update is: 1...

Hi Janet, glad you're back. My point is that in the past a farmer could claim both BPS and a CSS option like GS2: Permanent grassland with very low inputs (outside SDAs) on the same parcel. Once BPS is gone, the same farmer will still claim the CSS option on the parcel however most of the SFI...

Yes everyone loses. Was I naive to expect better? When they announced public money for public goods and the phasing out of BPS but with the budget remaining unchanged, I didn’t think that SFI & stewardship would be mutually exclusive. Where has the BPS budget gone? A bit to (the no uptake) SFI...

I bet you won’t be able to apply for this SFI standard on grassland or whilst claiming options like organic conversion / management in stewardship agreements - it’s an utter joke. The farmers who have tried to do their best for the environment in existing stewardship agreements are being...

I’m not expecting the double funding rules to change so SFI standards and CSS options will not be able to be stacked. Farmers in stewardship agreements effectively lose their BPS without any replacement - a disaster for English farmers whilst the other home countries continue direct support. I...

https://ruralpayments.blog.gov.uk/2023/01/18/an-update-on-countryside-stewardship-capital-payment-rates/

Looks like DEFRA have U-turned on this based on their blog today. Stewardship agreements starting on 1st Jan 23 or after will now benefit from the increased capital item payment rates. This is very welcome - thank you. Now please can we remove the double funding issues between SFI standards and...