Life after BPS

[topground]

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 the recovery of BPS money If I don’t sign up for SFI or any other of the replacements for BPS?
What will I be able to do to suit me rather than what some DEFRA advisor thinks I should do?
The most obvious would be that I could cut hedges whenever I liked having checked there were no nesting birds.
I can maximise productive area.
Anything else DEFRA will lose control of?

 

[No wot]

If you are able to farm profitably with out any sub , i would crack on with it and relish the opportunity to tell any Government official to get lost , so long as you aren't breaking any laws

 

[Pan mixer]

Unfortunately quite a lot of the things that they want under cross compliance are laws too. Brace yourself for any that have snuck round the edges to become laws anytime soon.

 

[topground]

Unfortunately quite a lot of the things that they want under cross compliance are laws too. Brace yourself for any that have snuck round the edges to become laws anytime soon.

Like what in particular? other than tagging livestock which is one requirement that comes to mind.
My point is that while there might be requirements that are set out in cross compliance those requirements do not appear in statute and can therefore be ignored if not claiming BPS.
‘If the enforcing authorities had half the power that half the population think they have we would be living in the police state the other half think we are already in’

 

[Barleymow]

Leraps are law

 

[topground]

Leraps are law

Correct but what do you have to do under cross compliance rules that you wouldn’t do if you did not claim under any government funded scheme?
Leraps are irrelevant here because I don’t use pesticides.

 

[Hindsight]

Like what in particular? other than tagging livestock which is one requirement that comes to mind.
My point is that while there might be requirements that are set out in cross compliance those requirements do not appear in statute and can therefore be ignored if not claiming BPS.
‘If the enforcing authorities had half the power that half the population think they have we would be living in the police state the other half think we are already in’

Topground - I suppose you might start by reading the legislation that is covered in Cross Compliance. Then you might have a better idea of which items of legislation would apply whether you draw BPS or not. Best wishes.

 

[Pan mixer]

Many regulations around home mixing are law as well as cross compliance for example, VMD and Trading Standards inspect as well as RPA.

Stocking densities for housed stock are law as is much record keeping. So are most animal regulations.

What laws or regulations would you like to not comply with? I must say that i thought that hedge cutting dates were law too unless it is roadside or domestic.

 

[topground]

Topground - I suppose you might start by reading the legislation that is covered in Cross Compliance. Then you might have a better idea of which items of legislation would apply whether you draw BPS or not. Best wishes.

Not sure that helps. Take buffer strips as an example, there is no legislation mentioned in the advice so why would you maintain them if you are not being paid under BPS or other scheme?

 

[Hindsight]

Not sure that helps. Take buffer strips as an example, there is no legislation mentioned in the advice so why would you maintain them if you are not being paid under BP or other scheme?

Well Pan Mixers reply was better than mine. Without knowing what you want to do differently and if that breaks the legislation irrespective of drawing BPS and being subject therefore to Cross Compliance I am not sure how you are to know whether you are breaking the law now, or would be in the future, and if currently and in future complying with legislation may as well draw the BPS.

 

[topground]

Many regulations around home mixing are law as well as cross compliance for example, VMD and Trading Standards inspect as well as RPA.

Stocking densities for housed stock are law as is much record keeping. So are most animal regulations.

What laws or regulations would you like to not comply with? I must say that i thought that hedge cutting dates were law too unless it is roadside or domestic.

Thanks for making my point. There are no dates set down in law controlling when you cut hedges.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to destroy nests and eggs but if you check there are no nesting birds you can cut hedges when you like. There are recommendations made which mirror cross compliance but that is not law.
However you have misunderstood my enquiry, I have no wish not to comply with the law. I am seeking to establish what Cross compliance requires me to do that the law does not thereby giving me greater freedom and probably flexibility when I am not being compensated by the state

 

[Top Tip.]

If you’re not claiming BPS they can’t fine you for non compliance which is the usual punishment for non compliance at the moment.

 

[DRC]

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 the recovery of BPS money If I don’t sign up for SFI or any other of the replacements for BPS?
What will I be able to do to suit me rather than what some DEFRA advisor thinks I should do?
The most obvious would be that I could cut hedges whenever I liked having checked there were no nesting birds.
I can maximise productive area.
Anything else DEFRA will lose control of?

Spraying off your footpaths in crops maybe

 

[M-J-G]

You need to know what freedoms you wish to have before it matters if you can have them or not.

For example, being free to cut down a tree won't matter if you don't have a tree.

 

[Tim W]

I've never claimed BPS but still have to abide by basic rules
Laws change frequently
I'm sure that if needed/wanted then restrictive legislature will be brought in

 

[ajcc]

The point is the law has a much higher burden of proof. Defra relies on its ability to “police” and indeed interpret the regulations unhindered by burdens of proof. (Cross compliance)
Anyone who opts out of cross compliance will enjoy freedom to farm....hell they and I have been chasing each other round and round the courts for close on five years with no resolution in sight. They really hate having to account to anyone outside of the department.

 

[livestock 1]

I was told years ago that paying farmers some money alongside a big rule book was cheaper than employing people to police us

 

[ajcc]

Agreed you comply with eartagging and pesticide regs etc but you can manage your cropping, rotations, farm infrastructure, wildlife, cultivations, timeliness etc. unhindered and unburdened by veiled threats.

 

[warksfarmer]

Many regulations around home mixing are law as well as cross compliance for example, VMD and Trading Standards inspect as well as RPA.

Stocking densities for housed stock are law as is much record keeping. So are most animal regulations.

What laws or regulations would you like to not comply with? I must say that i thought that hedge cutting dates were law too unless it is roadside or domestic.

Even though we are Red Tractor members we’ve still had a Defra, NE, TRADING standards and RPA inspections over the last 5 years. None of them were interested we were Red Tractor members and some didn’t even know what it was.

So it just proves Red Tractor isn’t needed and it’ll just be standard farm inspections moving forward.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Life after it, while this year you guy down south are getting alot of it next month, it will be all spent in no time paying for dear fertiliser etc, etc. Up here it's September, just in time to blow it on ewes n tups. God knows what it will be like the first years it's stopped, l don't think it will be cut this year, not in Wales or Scotland.