Extend Existing Countryside Stewardship or Wait for ELMS?

What are peoples thoughts on this? The extension would be paid the new rates which for my own scheme equals about -9% which is pretty crappy. If I took the extension and things don't pan out financially can I terminate without penalty at the end of a completed year?
 
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Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
What are peoples thoughts on this? The extension would be paid the new rates which for my own scheme equals about -9% which is pretty crappy. If I took the extension and things don't pan out financially can I terminate without penalty at the end of a completed year?

If you take the extension you have to stick to it. It will be on the same terms as the original and any penalties will go back to the start.

What options do you have that makes the payments -9%?
Would you be better going into a new CS scheme?
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
A couple of things to be aware of.

Our agreement ended 31/12/21, but we were never offered an extension.
Had we have been I would have taken it. So I had to apply for a new scheme as from 1/1/22, but haven’t officially heard that it is going ahead. Nor have I been paid yet for the final year of our old scheme!
Funny how they always seem to want extra information at the very time you are expecting payment, isn’t it?

I’m not too worried about a new scheme insofar as it might end early when ELMs gets started, therefore not run its entire 5 years.

Whatever you do, make sure that you don’t fall fowl of anything in your old (existing) scheme that might make land become PP be default if it is in something such as GS4 if it overruns 5 years. You will need to move it.

Or possibly claim it as Fallow on your 2022 BPS, in which case CS will assume you replanting it in the autumn of 2022, which you might not actually do. BUT whatever happens, make sure it is shown as Fallow FA01 on that BPS form or it will default to PP1.
 
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Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
A couple of things to be aware of.

Our agreement ended 31/12/21, but we were never offered an extension.
Had we have been I would have taken it. So I had to apply for a new scheme as from 1/1/22, but haven’t officially heard that it is going ahead. Nor have I been paid yet for the final year of our old scheme!
Funny how they always seem to want extra information at the very time you are expecting payment, isn’t it?

I’m not too worried about a new scheme insofar as it might end early when ELMs gets started, therefore not reun its entire 5 years.

Whatever you do, make sure that you don’t fall fowl of anything in your old (existing) scheme that might make land become PP be default if it is in something such as GS4 if it overruns 5 years. You will need to move it.

Or possibly claim it as Fallow on your 2022 BPS, in which case CS will assume you replanting it in the autumn of 2022, which you might not actually do. BUT whatever happens, make sure it is shown as Fallow FA01 on that BPS form or it will default to PP1.

I complete a few forms for farmers. Have two Mid Tier agreements renewed Jan 2022 just so we could enter field corners etc that are down to AB8 in as Fallow on the 2022 BPS form. These are awkward bits of land that have not been cropped since early 90s. Always down to grass of some sort, but been able and made sure claimed as Fallow at least once every five years on the SPS / BPS form.
 
If you take the extension you have to stick to it. It will be on the same terms as the original and any penalties will go back to the start.

What options do you have that makes the payments -9%?
Would you be better going into a new CS scheme?
My options are thus - trouble is the ones they have slashed represent my biggest areas and the options they have increased my smallest so overall 9% down:mad:


OptionChange %
AB1
13.31
AB10
0
AB14
-11.28
AB16
10.55
AB2
-30.95
AB9
0
HEDGE
12.5
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
My options are thus - trouble is the ones they have slashed represent my biggest areas and the options they have increased my smallest so overall 9% down:mad:


OptionChange %
AB1
13.31
AB10
0
AB14
-11.28
AB16
10.55
AB2
-30.95
AB9
0
HEDGE
12.5

This is very interesting and shows how illogical all of these options are and the income foregone formula that was used.
After much pressure I finally managed to get the calculation from Defra, only because I saw Janet Hughes at a meeting and reminded her that I wanted to know why GS6, Species Rich grassland was still the same value whereas GS10 had increased by 23%.
The figures are created by Andersons and I can tell you they are using very spurious figures.

I won't publish them on here as they were sent to me personally, however I have forwarded them to the NFU as I believe they are in a better position to get an independent expert to look at these figures.
 
I am looking to renew for another 5 years and if elms is better jump into it before the 5 years
thus keeping options open
I also have ab14 and ab2
although I do not want to do any more ab2 land with runoff not allowed so hard to fit it in
1 assume ab14 rate is reduced because of higher grain prices
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
If you take the extension you have to stick to it. It will be on the same terms as the original and any penalties will go back to the start.

What options do you have that makes the payments -9%?
Would you be better going into a new CS scheme?
I declined the offer of an extension...

As a result of bitter personal experience, have very little faith or trust in RPA Inspectors I am afraid....
 

Farma Parma

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Northumberlandia
looking at new high tier scheme for 23 year start date here now. payments only slightly higher than HLS but with a few tweeks it will be better.
Wont replace BPS losses tho. Ive got the Extention offer but wont be going that route.
any current Extensions ive heard will be binned in 2 years where as if you into a new scheme it will fully roll into ELMS whenever they sort that all out.
Its all a right mess to be honest.
 

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