NFU claiming credit for 25% SFI cap

[Spencer]

... grow some Avacardo's or similar??

Bloody things keep blocking my coulters

 

[SilliamWhale]

I suspect the TFF take on it would more likely be ‘NFU responsible for a cold, wet Spring’. If it’s not their fault then it must be RT to blame, or those pesky clingons at AHDB.

Nah but lets be honest if they had been more honest about Red Tractor they would have had a lot more respect, and it has been entirely self inflicted. A bit of pushback on ahdb levies wouldn't have done any harm either.

You can only take the pee out of people before so long

 

[Grass And Grain]

It’s a comedy road show. How have they still got any members.. what did they say about AHDB putting the cattle levi up 20% was that their idea as well .

NFU backed the AHDB levy increases in all sectors, and wrote supporting letters to send to the Minister.

AHDB asked for supporting letters from several organisations, then sent those in to the Minister as evidence of "stakeholder support". They also chose not to offer farmer levy payers a yes/no vote.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Why do the NFU want to limit how much a farmer, maybe even one of it's members, from putting as much of their farm as they want, into SFI?

there not

I should have said, in any of those 6 options.

As it is, the NFU seem to wish to keep those toiling, enslaved;


NFU Deputy President David Exwood

“This will help keep active farmers on the ground while encouraging them to farm more sustainably.”

 

[som farmer]

I should have said, in any of those 6 options.

As it is, the NFU seem to wish to keep those toiling, enslaved;


NFU Deputy President David Exwood

“This will help keep active farmers on the ground while encouraging them to farm more sustainably.”

l have no problem farming more sensibly, just want to be paid a fair price for what l produce, not one from the end of the last century.

and the NFU have managed to feck even that up.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

l have no problem farming more sensibly, just want to be paid a fair price for what l produce, not one from the end of the last century.

and the NFU have managed to feck even that up.

He wants to keep farmers farming.
Which would be good.
If it was because we were incentivised to do so rather than having alternatives removed.

 

[Clive]

View attachment 1172277
Received an email today from NFU welcoming SFI cap and was a result of their lobbying. Can you believe it. !!

how can removing choice for farmers be a good thing ?

more food production means lower prices = less profitable farmers


are either of those thing in farmers best interest ……… or are they simply better fir supermarkets / processors

arguments that this protects tenants are flawed while num3 can still be applied to 100% of a farm and pays better than most rents

 

[Clive]

.

Thinking about it in a different way, why not facilitate low productivity farms to have 100% SFI, but high productivity farms could choose zero % SFI. That makes sense if it worked out OK, but would require DEFRA to ensure the more productive farms had sufficient prices available to them so they didn't use much SFI.

^ this exactly what the uncapped sfi was doing, it was very attractive on poor soils, interesting on less productive bits of average soils and a none stater on the good higher yield productive soils, overall i very much doubt much more than 25% of production would have gone - defra had it right but have fallen for the input supply chain / NFU “it’s farmer job to produce cheap food” lobbying

removing CHOICE never helps farmers

 

[Flatland guy]

View attachment 1172277
Received an email today from NFU welcoming SFI cap and was a result of their lobbying. Can you believe it. !!

So let me get this right the NFU were quite happy for its 'subsidary' company (RT) or part of it to effectively give away the farmers green credentials but now even more happy to support less environmental options on farms. For a union to want to limit its members environmental area in this day and age is quite frankly disgusting, a choice was there it was up to individual people/businesses what they put in.

The only thing that supports food production in a simple free market place is £££. Let market dynamics work price received less £... less product, more £...more product. Simple. Logically the only thing NFU should be championing is equal terms for imported product compared to UK production rules for its members.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I wonder if AHDB have commented to DEFRA about SFI caps? Or kept out of it? Or had a quiet word with the NFU? Don't know.

 

[ajd132]

^ this exactly what the uncapped sfi was doing, it was very attractive on poor soils, interesting on less productive bits of average soils and a none stater on the good higher yield productive soils, overall i very much doubt much more than 25% of production would have gone - defra had it right but have fallen for the input supply chain / NFU “it’s farmer job to produce cheap food” lobbying

removing CHOICE never helps farmers

i think its about money though. There wouldn’t be enough for the stuff like covers, companions, no till etc if they didnt get a handle on this stuff.

 

[Homesy]

^ this exactly what the uncapped sfi was doing, it was very attractive on poor soils, interesting on less productive bits of average soils and a none stater on the good higher yield productive soils, overall i very much doubt much more than 25% of production would have gone - defra had it right but have fallen for the input supply chain / NFU “it’s farmer job to produce cheap food” lobbying

removing CHOICE never helps farmers

I actually agree with the 25% cap, however to do it now is completely unjust. You say it will only be used on the unproductive soils but that has not happened. I know good farms which have put most of their land into it. If you are nearing retirement why would you not ? Why would you rent the land out to another farmer for less than you can get on SFI ?

 

[Grass And Grain]

I actually agree with the 25% cap, however to do it now is completely unjust. You say it will only be used on the unproductive soils but that has not happened. I know good farms which have put most of their land into it. If you are nearing retirement why would you not ? Why would you rent the land out to another farmer for less than you can get on SFI ?

I also agree with the cap, just so each farm has opportunity for an equal slice of pie.

As you say, it shouldn't be done after they'd previously had no cap, and particularly after DEFRA were desperate to encourage SFI uptake so increased payment rates and their scheme rules specifically said no upper limit on area.

Mark Spencer inferred farmers were "taking the mickey". No they weren't Mr Spencer, they were following your signals of encouragement. DEFRA target was 70% uptake of ELMS, and they increased area payment rates to attract more farmers.

In fact the SFI rules are you make your first year's claim, then in years 2 and 3 you must have a minimum of 50% of year 1, with no maximum claim area. It couldn't be clearer. DEFRA rules.

Now DEFRA put a cap on SFI

This mess is 100% DEFRA's responsibility. So Mr Spencer, Janet Hughes etal, don't tell us farmers we're "taking the mickey". You need to take a long hard look at what you've done. How you messed it up. How you've created unequal access to SFI. How you didn't manage your budget. If you are fit to be doing the job you're employed to do?

I think there's probably half a dozen of them who should resign or be sacked.

 

[Steevo]

i think its about money though. There wouldn’t be enough for the stuff like covers, companions, no till etc if they didnt get a handle on this stuff.

Money, yes.

But I think much more about who stands to lose out if production falls….AHDB levy, NFU subscriptions, input sales (spray, fert etc), machinery dealers, grain merchants etc.

 

[Hindsight]

i think its about money though. There wouldn’t be enough for the stuff like covers, companions, no till etc if they didnt get a handle on this stuff.

My view - its all about money.

And there still won't be when direct drill guys pile in expecting £75 hectare (think that is the amount) and everyone asks for the £30 for variable rate fertiliser which will be championed by SOYL, OMNIA etc. And I have folk looking to submit a second application shortly to add overwinter covers on a significant part of there land - this is roots land which has not grown covers before. And the Companion crop action is being picked up - spin 30 kg barley before beet and peas where a graminicide is routinely used, so not an additional cost. How on earth is there going to be enough cash. The AHDB model farms put together had just part areas adopting SFI not whole farms.

Not sure what some of the higher profile folk on here are upto but with their SFI so far with the options and areas talked about on here they will be upto and over the £220 BPS already. Before they turn up for direct drilling. Variable rate fert and more. Hey ho.

 

[Billboy1]

I also agree with the cap, just so each farm has opportunity for an equal slice of pie.

As you say, it shouldn't be done after they'd previously had no cap, and particularly after DEFRA were desperate to encourage SFI uptake so increased payment rates and their scheme rules specifically said no upper limit on area.

Mark Spencer inferred farmers were "taking the mickey". No they weren't Mr Spencer, they were following your signals of encouragement. DEFRA target was 70% uptake of ELMS, and they increased area payment rates to attract more farmers.

In fact the SFI rules are you make your first year's claim, then in years 2 and 3 you must have a minimum of 50% of year 1, with no maximum claim area. It couldn't be clearer. DEFRA rules.

Now DEFRA put a cap on SFI

This mess is 100% DEFRA's responsibility. So Mr Spencer, Janet Hughes etal, don't tell us farmers we're "taking the mickey". You need to take a long hard look at what you've done. How you messed it up. How you've created unequal access to SFI. How you didn't manage your budget. If you are fit to be doing the job you're employed to do?

I think there's probably half a dozen of them who should resign or be sacked.

mr spencer now has a knighthood

 

[SilliamWhale]

i think its about money though. There wouldn’t be enough for the stuff like covers, companions, no till etc if they didnt get a handle on this stuff.

If it is about money then it needs pointing out more.

Farmers are unable to deliver more environmental goods and services because there is not the money.
Farmers are unwilling to provide environmental obligations for the retailers via GFC because they finanical mechanisms weren't not provided.
Farmers are unlikely to produce so much this year because there is not the money.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Problem with SFI field scale option is they just replace lost crops income. Decent for rotation/disease if you can keep weeds in check. But better than growing OSR now gov have banned neonics without banning neonic imports, hence we can't compete with world price.

I see another machinery dealership has gone under. Won't be the last.

Tbh I don't really see how field scale SFI non-cropping options do much for sustainable agriculture, and I haven't seen any grants of much use to me. Personally I preferred BPS so I could spend in drainage, a larger more efficient grain trailer, a basic mobile dryer which isn't rusty because on our scale I don't need automatic flat store grain stirrers, a tractor which doesn't break down, a FYM spreader rather than a cover crop crimper, a larger muck forks for the telehandler.

Field scale SFI is just CS under a new name and a bit more flexible.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Rest of SFI there's payments for cover crops, companion crops, no insecticide. That's fine.

Where's the payment for FYM spreading? It was in the original SFI offer. It's good for the soil.

 

[Huno]

Rest of SFI there's payments for cover crops, companion crops, no insecticide. That's fine.

Where's the payment for FYM spreading? It was in the original SFI offer. It's good for the soil.

Muck spreading is good for the soil... Unfortunately the compaction caused and fuel burned by the process is not... Sadly...