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    What should the replacement for SFI look like?

    SFI unravelling as the policy makers realise food might be in short supply and as of yesterday (25th March) not taking land out of food production is suddenly important to the government. Is it important to the population as a whole to have home grown food production subsidised? What should SFI...
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    Airport operators seeking to control local agricultural activities.

    Any of the collective experienced interference in their legitimate farming activities from the operators of airports close by as in trying to restrict or prohibit grazing on common land and ploughing times on land the airport does not own?
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    Lapwing plots Steve Barclay letter.

    Extract from the letter that has just dropped from Steve Barclay. “We’re also introducing premium payments, so you will be paid more for actions that have biggest environmental impact or combinations of actions that deliver benefits at scale. For example, you could get £765 per hectare for...
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    Dominic Cummings Covid enquiry

    Cummings telling what most of us know, the Civil Service is in charge and they are not up to the job.
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    CS application deadline put back. Why!

    The new deadline for submitting your application is now 15 September 2023. This extension is in response to feedback following issues experienced by some customers in making their applications. This ensures that all customers and land agents have ample time to submit their applications for CS...
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    Life after BPS producing food from cattle and sheep.

    BPS nearly gone, SFI announced today not worth the aggravation on an all grass farm. what’s the plan going forward for those of us producing food from cattle and sheep? Mine is to reduce spending to an absolute minimum which won’t do the local economy particularly support industries already in...
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    Another reason not to watch TV

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-65707076?fbclid=IwAR1DeFfftJmpKqQ3s0Br0ipaJYnttKPseT5YAo4gSJdxE6UzlDqydutlln0
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    DEFRA SFI Workshops. Who has been invited?

    Threatened species workshop Dear Pilot Participant, Thank you for your interest in the Threatened Species Feasibility Workshop taking place next week. You haven’t been selected this time. We had a lot of interest in this workshop and the limited number of spaces were taken up...
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    Early bite?

    Dairy herd out at grass in North Somerset yesterday. All year round calving. Must be a local record!
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    Farming without subsidy: England post BPS measurable outcomes.What will the impact be beyond the farm gate.

    DEFRA have set out a scheme with 280 options (and counting) to replace BPS few of which appear to have any measurable outcomes to demonstrate public money for public good and do not provide adequate compensation for government interference in food production. This forum provides an information...
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    Letter from Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP

    Anyone else had the email set out below my draft reply from the Sec of State and anything I should add? Dear Sir, I refer to the email received today from the Secretary of State. I would be grateful if you would confirm that my reply set out below will be seen by the Sec of State. The scheme...
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    Funding available for robotics and automation in farming

    https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2022/12/13/funding-available-for-robotics-and-automation-in-farming/ How the civil service love a competition, it creates jobs for the boys and girls all the while the closest most of DEFRA staff might have come to front line food production (farming) seems to...
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    SFI. Further delay Environment Secretary speech at CLA Business Conference

    https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/environment-secretary-speech-at-cla-business-conference Anyone expecting an announcement about SFI or any other funding for food production will be disappointed in the speech by Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey today which can be found in the link...
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    Your hourly rate when dealing with bureaucracy.

    We all have to spend time dealing with the likes of the RPA, form filling, questionnaires, carrying out surveys, the list goes on where you have to spend time doing work at the request/ insistence of others. Work associated with SFI if signed up. If charged to the bureaucrat customer what...
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    Migrant hotels in rural locations.

    70 migrants awaiting asylum hearings moving into a hotel in a rural area location with no local services to speak of near me. All likely to be young men of an entirely different culture with nothing to do and time on their hands. Anyone have experience of similar circumstances and the impact...
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    Who should be replaced and why George?

    Can we expect to see a change in personnel at DEFRA next week with a new PM and a new Cabinet? Which of the current ministers will be fired first and why George?
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    Farming close to an airport

    If you farm close to an airport does the operator seek to impose restrictions on how you farm? Asking because I heard a story today that Bristol Airport has written to local arable farmers asking them to plough at night so as to not attract seagulls. I am not sure if the letter was dated 1st...
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    DEFRA Animal Welfare grants.

    DEFRA decided that they know best how to spend the money that livestock farmers will now not have available through BPS and they have announced that they will fund an on farm review with your vet. I have responded to a request for input into the scheme as a livestock keeper. Does your vet know...
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    Life after BPS

    BPS means cross compliance restrictions on the way I farm which gives government some control and influence over farming activities without having to legislate and pay for enforcement through the courts. What if anything replaces the controls Govenment have in place enforced by the threat of...
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    SFI agreements Common land

    With the release today of information about SFI Common land agreements I had a look because I claim BPS on 100 acres of common land owned by the Parish Council. I am paid a proportion according to the grazing rights I hold which is limited to a number of head of cattle There is no commoners...
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