Hedges for EFA

[Wombat]

Fallow cannot be sprayed till mid July and you need to check if you can cultivate it be careful

yup its all down grass so i will just top it as required

 

[The walkmen]

Thanks for replies sorted!
One more for you, my fallow/ hedges/ buffer strips are all in ELS/HLS can these still be used for EFA?
Thanks

 

[haymaker80]

Thanks for replies sorted!
One more for you, my fallow/ hedges/ buffer strips are all in ELS/HLS can these still be used for EFA?
Thanks

Yes, we've been using our HLS overwintered stubble option as fallow

 

[Steevo]

just been told that if i want to use hedges for efa, i need to measure them, add them on land use table online, complete rle1 and send in photo evidence.

Why do they need photo evidence, the guy said he can see them on the satellite image?

I've got days of rle1 forms to do just to sort out the cocked up parcels.

Think we will fallow some grassland as a cant stomach any more fudgeing forms!

I’m beginning to think of catch or cover crops instead of hedges

We've gone that route, away from pulses, as we would just about have enough hedges here (bit tight though) and thought there would be less issues with going to cover/catch crops.

i take it if i use Fallow i don;t need to worry about fixing any hedge issues?

Had been intending to do hedges here this year after the pulse no-spray change and the suggestion the OS had mapped all hedges to make it easy.....but since they haven't mapped our hedges either I'm starting to think fallow might be the best option.

 

[Dman2]

Started my BPS application today
Checked the individual land parcels, all hedges showing ( although most of them wrong )
Opened up the change land use section, and only 2 fields have hedges listed, but these are totally different to whats on the previous screen
What a complete f**k up

 

[Vintage Steve]

Working on my BPS today,most of my hedges aren't mapped, when I calmed down and investigated deeper, why are we all upset about not being able to use hedges? Hedges are worth 5m/liner metre, buffers are worth 9m! No maps, no gaps or forms to worry about. We have to have cross compliance 2m and 1m strips anyway, none of my hedges are more than 2m wide which leaves 1m each side for EFA. Put all my measurements in, didn't bother with a couple of small fields, finished the application, lone behold twice the EFA I need, simples, or have I missed something?

 

[Dman2]

So
Can you use the compulsory 1m buffer strip as EFA?

 

[Vintage Steve]

Yes and multiply by nine, but that is a 1m watercourse cross compliance strip, can we use the 2m hedge c/c strip (which they call field margins)?

 

[twizz]

Started my BPS application today
Checked the individual land parcels, all hedges showing ( although most of them wrong )
Opened up the change land use section, and only 2 fields have hedges listed, but these are totally different to whats on the previous screen
What a complete fudge up

Just clicked on the land use where does it say if the hedges are listed. I can’t seem to find them

 

[Tractor Boy]

Yes and multiply by nine, but that is a 1m watercourse cross compliance strip, can we use the 2m hedge c/c strip (which they call field margins)?

Yes, my understanding is that you can use any place where you have at least a 1m strip of uncultivated land. Even if it’s more than 1m you can only count it as 1m. The problem with using the ones next to hedges are that hedges grow! If an inspector comes round and your straggly hedge is overhanging and you haven’t got at least 1m clear buffer then that strip doesn’t count to efa!

 

[Steevo]

I logged on a moment ago and found some hedges! Pity there's only 1-2 lengths for a couple of fields....they've missed out 3/4 of the field boundary. Does make you wonder who designed this system.

It's a big rich for Defra/RPA etc to inspect farmers the way they do if they can't get their own house in order first.

 

[yellow belly]

I have used the hedges they say I have on the hedge layer of the fields plus a few fields where I have at least 1 m of buffer
90 % of my fields have less hedge showing than there is on the ground
I am certain that to ensure that there is the minimum chance of a delay in payment we should try to avoid sending in rle1 for hedge changes too high a risk they make mistakes and they get behind with the changes
if it is possible buffer strips are simpler and less chance of a delay in payment they do not have to marry up a paper rle1 with your claim
If I sent in 80 rle1s there would be several that they get wrong
if the rpa have do extra manual checks then most payments will be later than this year

the more we can do to get the claim right and easly checked the quicker most of us will get paid

 

[solo]

Yes and multiply by nine, but that is a 1m watercourse cross compliance strip, can we use the 2m hedge c/c strip (which they call field margins)?

Having reread the field margin criteria they require, I understood that it had to be a minimum 1m wide margin around the perimeter of the whole parcel. This ruled out many of my fields due to fences where it wasn’t 1m wide.
Gave up on remapping hedges too within a day and have fallowed some temporary grass instead for simplicity.

 

[yellow belly]

Having reread the field margin criteria they require, I understood that it had to be a minimum 1m wide margin around the perimeter of the whole parcel. This ruled out many of my fields due to fences where it wasn’t 1m wide.
Gave up on remapping hedges too within a day and have fallowed some temporary grass instead for simplicity.

I do not believe it needs to be the whole of a fields perimeter the length you put down is the length they need to find on inspection
If a bit of hedge over hangs it will only be the metres where it overhangs is disallowed
From a practical point Just declare hedge and buffer with plenty to spare


I was also told by one of the agents I use that if you declare a length of buffer that is disallowed on inspection but you have equivalent buffer on another field the disallowed buffer can be replaced with some allowed
Their firm does hundreds of bps and stewardship’s so they have plenty of knowledge on the inspection process and what is allowed
If I get an inspection I will use the agents to chaperone the inspector to make sure what is on the ground is recorded by the inspector
I do not want to have to appeal a fine which will delay payment

 

[Wombat]

I do not believe it needs to be the whole of a fields perimeter the length you put down is the length they need to find on inspection
If a bit of hedge over hangs it will only be the metres where it overhangs is disallowed
From a practical point Just declare hedge and buffer with plenty to spare


I was also told by one of the agents I use that if you declare a length of buffer that is disallowed on inspection but you have equivalent buffer on another field the disallowed buffer can be replaced with some allowed
Their firm does hundreds of bps and stewardship’s so they have plenty of knowledge on the inspection process and what is allowed
If I get an inspection I will use the agents to chaperone the inspector to make sure what is on the ground is recorded by the inspector
I do not want to have to appeal a fine which will delay payment

We got a 2% fine this year for undeclared areas despite having an email with the inspection report and it's stating in writing no issues were found during the inspection and there will no deductions to your BPS so what the inspector actually finds and what they actually do when they pay have no bearing

 

[Hindsight]

We got a 2% fine this year for undeclared areas despite having an email with the inspection report and it's stating in writing no issues were found during the inspection and there will no deductions to your BPS so what the inspector actually finds and what they actually do when they pay have no bearing

Yes, I get involved in a number of BPS claims. One (2016 year) was inspected July 2016. At the wash up session with inspector nothing materially untoward found - a few hedges not quite right length but inspector reported more than enough others to cover shortfall. We parted happy. Payment arrives Feb 2017 with a 1% penalty for undeclared area. On the inspection report the question 'any undeclared parcels' was answered NO by the inspector. Submitted a payment query form April 2017 still waiting for a reply and explanation, hopefully reimbursement of the penalty. Call monthly to chase up - waste of time. Hey ho.

 

[DRC]

Can someone please remind me of the difference between an adjacent or half hedge

 

[yellow belly]

Can someone please remind me of the difference between an adjacent or half hedge

half hedge you control the inside half code 11
if the outside half is yours ie roadside or pasture field then that is an adjacent hedge code 12
becarefull with hedges that next door farmer may use even though you may cut them because if you are inspected and they use the half hedge you use as adjacent it could disallow the hedge

I am only using hedges that I am certain I have control of and are marked on the rpa hedge layer

 

[DRC]

half hedge you control the inside half code 11
if the outside half is yours ie roadside or pasture field then that is an adjacent hedge code 12
becarefull with hedges that next door farmer may use even though you may cut them because if you are inspected and they use the half hedge you use as adjacent it could disallow the hedge

I am only using hedges that I am certain I have control of and are marked on the rpa hedge layer

Thanks, I've worked out that I only need the half hedges, using their measurements. This gives me over two hectares more than I need.

 

[Steevo]

Would I be cynical in thinking that DEFRA have done this on purpose in not fulfilling their commitments regarding hedges?

Scrap nitrogen fixing crops....everyone piles out of them.
Say you've mapped hedges...everyone piles into them.
Haven't actually mapped the hedges....everyone has a panic and needs to fill in an RLE1 form for every single field they farm before 15th May.

Two weeks prior to this Defra also launch a 64 page "consultation" document about the future of agricultural support. Responses should be received by 8th May!

If you wanted to reduce the ability of farmers to respond to the consultation.....timing it perfectly with the BPS window....and making such a huge cock-up causing pages and pages of more paperwork for them would seem the perfect conspiracy. Oh, and also not admitting any liability themselves.

Russia anyone?!