Hedges for EFA

[solo]

I also think you are on the right lines My slant on it was:

1. Get rid of beans due to no pesticides. Less beans =higher price.
2. Due to hedges being an enormous mess less farmers will use it.
3. Buffer strips will be used more.
4. More temporary grass and fallow as efa means less production.

The positive bit they may have overlooked is prices may rise due to less production.

Conclusion: Higher prices mean subs can be cut more easily in that consultation which they don't want land managers having a great vote in.

PS. Don't fancy Russia. At least here i can see when daylight robbery is taking place and usually able to go elsewhere. Not so sure it's a choice over there.

 

[Steevo]

It's mad to me that nobody is really able to hold RPA to account on this. They stated they would get OS to map the hedges, and then it turns out they haven't and aren't going to be.

The only hedge parcels I have showing on the RPA system are the boundary against another arable farmer (maybe he used it for EFA/stewardship), and a couple of very small sections of hedge against another two farmers (but not the whole boundary with them). Boundaries with grassland farmers are unmapped, as are road hedges and all internal hedges.

Anybody noticed similar patterns?

 

[solo]

Not similar here. I used hedges last year. Not one field tallies with new hedge layer. Anywhere there is a hedgerow tree they have mapped as gaps with no hedge. There are hedges mapped where fences exist and no hedges where they do. Most fields have 6 or 7 lines for the hedge lengths even on fields completely bounded by hedges. I really couldn’t be bothered to go through the hassle of sketch maps for every field and rle1 forms so I put temporary grass as my efa. It’s behind me now and I can enjoy life and the weather again

 

[Steevo]

Not similar here. I used hedges last year. Not one field tallies with new hedge layer. Anywhere there is a hedgerow tree they have mapped as gaps with no hedge. There are hedges mapped where fences exist and no hedges where they do. Most fields have 6 or 7 lines for the hedge lengths even on fields completely bounded by hedges. I really couldn’t be bothered to go through the hassle of sketch maps for every field and rle1 forms so I put temporary grass as my efa. It’s behind me now and I can enjoy life and the weather again

Apparently you only need one form for multiple parcels....but you do need a map for each parcel.

The RPA are going to be snowed under - anyone like to take a guess at the size of the fine the EU will levy for missing the payment requirements?

 

[DRC]

This email arrived regarding hedges.
Thought it might be useful to anyone not receiving the RPA emails
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...o_check_and_change_your_hedge_information.pdf

 

[Steevo]

This email arrived regarding hedges.
Thought it might be useful to anyone not receiving the RPA emails
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...o_check_and_change_your_hedge_information.pdf

Well done.

Was just reading it a moment ago before logging onto TFF.

“In some cases, you may not be able to see any hedge information - the hedge icon is missing. This is because hedges on your land were not captured.”

It does make you wonder what was the point in getting the OS to map them...!

 

[Steevo]

Oh, and compare that to this press release from OS:

“In the Autumn of 2014, the RPA asked Ordnance Survey (OS) to map every hedge in farmland England.”

“Currently OS has collected and mapped 95% of this data, with the final 5% in line to be processed in early 2017. The new dataset will continue to be maintained with change updates being supplied to the RPA.”

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/about/news/2016/new-hedges-data-layer.html

 

[binbusy]

Maps abit of a joke, lots of good hedges missing and there where nothing exists.
I’m gonna put them all in as per the maps as I know they’re under the amount like that but will easily find my Efa anyway.
Does anybody know if you can still use the fallow hedges?

 

[Hindsight]

Maps maybe bit of a joke but I am going to be a boring old effer here and say it is not a joke. The hedge data is evidently very varied in accuracy and quality. Surely someone from the RPA might have thought to go out of the office to check a few hedges for accuracy before launching the whole thing live. All this has resulted in is probably a flurry of RLE1 forms to increase workload. And concern at farm level about getting the application process correct as we all know government takes no prisoners with our errors and mistakes. And in my view made the RPA senior management to look foolish. I hope none of them ever get into a serious government job which impacts on lives - can you just imagine the disasters afoot if they were let loose. Anyway curmudgeonly me is off back to look at some wet fields and then another BPS form.

 

[Steevo]

.....and worst of all the RPA won't even admit that they've made a cockup.

Out of interest - why were hedges included in the mapping this time around? Anybody know?

 

[Dman2]

This email arrived regarding hedges.
Thought it might be useful to anyone not receiving the RPA emails
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...o_check_and_change_your_hedge_information.pdf

How come you got this
Must be favouritism.
Answers a lot of my questions though

 

[binbusy]

I’m not messing about sending in rle forms.
I am going along with what they say, it’s a lot less than what’s there anyway so they are welcome to inspect.
Where there are hedges on the maps that don’t exist i have not included it.
It will all change in 2020 anyway so why worry.

 

[DRC]

I’m not messing about sending in rle forms.
I am going along with what they say, it’s a lot less than what’s there anyway so they are welcome to inspect.
Where there are hedges on the maps that don’t exist i have not included it.
It will all change in 2020 anyway so why worry.

I've done the same. I did add up all their individual measurements on each field though. Hope this is ok.
The annoying thing is it still says no to the question about have you complied with EFA, when I'm at least 20% over.

 

[DRC]

How come you got this
Must be favouritism.
Answers a lot of my questions though

Glad it helps. Don't know why I get the monthly updates. Must've ticked a box somewhere.

 

[binbusy]

Yes, did that too added them up put them all on one line! I can’t see how they expect anybody to put them all In separately, they would have line upon lines of hedges and then a repeat for the adjacents.
That wouldn’t be right imo, as long as the hedges are there upon an inspection imo all will be fine.
Online It said My EFA was not complient last year when it was. I rang them up they said not to worry sometimes it does work, sometimes it doesn’t.

 

[Dman2]

Tried ringing the helpline today
Expected to have to listen to 30 mins of dyer music.
No
Was told I had to leave my number and someone will ring me back.

What foocking use is that?
I don`t carry my office around with me out side with all the details i need.
Still waiting for the ringback

Foocking useless

 

[Fergieman]

If your not using Hedges for any scheme or EFA can you just delete them? Only 1 field has had them added.

 

[4course]

spent the last couple of afternoons getting to grips with my maps so far,
hedges have appeared where there arnt any.
hedges have not shown even though I can see them from the office.
gaps have appeared in full hedgerows.
post and wire fences have become hedges. some with some without gaps
new fields of 20 sq m have been found inside existing fields and created.
arable land has been turned into pp, even the photo shows tramlines and has been dec arable last 5years.
fields that have been declared as seperate since records began have been amalgamated into one .
odd bits in a couple fields have been reclassified as not arable even though they are
Looks like im going to be in here sometime good job its raining!!!!ffs

 

[David.]

Are we saying that hedges in grassland blocks cannot be used towards EFA?
Think I can feel a field of dirty peas coming on, for the sake of simplicity.

 

[Hindsight]

Are we saying that hedges in grassland blocks cannot be used towards EFA?
Think I can feel a field of dirty peas coming on, for the sake of simplicity.

Permanent Pasture. Does not count toward EFA requirement and thus the half hedge facing into the PG01 parcel cannot count twards EFA. But where that PP field has an adjacent arable field the other half of the hedge facing the arable ladn can count towards EFA allocated to the arable field.

Remember there is the option to use eligible margins on arable fields. No need really to use pulses as far as I can see.