SFI - Self Help and Tips

[Northern territory]

Perhaps so we don't do it , they say they offered the funds and we didn't take it , not their fault then ...

I’m really in two minds, quite a lot around here seem to be going in but none of it really suits my system. And we are too small to lump big areas of land in.

 

[JJT]

Just filling in sfi form, It says you should have up to date land use code, so i updated the land use to what is/was planned for this years cropping. I then read that the land use should be "compatible with the land use code declared for a BPS 2023 application". Does this mean the land use codes should be the same as the land use in last years BPS form, IE do i need to go back and change the land use back to what it was? Or as long as arable is still arable and grass is still grass it doesn't matter?

Having re read the rule book it looks like as it means as long as arable is still arable and permanent grass is still grass its all its asking for.

 

[cattleman123]

My fear on this is if temporary grass slipped into permanent on last years bps, where do you stand going forward. Is it best to plough it up this year and enter at a later date

I know of a agent telling farmers to plough up all p/p and crop it for one year his thinking is they may one day say you cant plough if its not been in the previous few years..so its plough plough for me

 

[e3120]

Having re read the rule book it looks like as it means as long as arable is still arable and permanent grass is still grass its all its asking for.

It gets a little more nuanced if you have temporary grass to plough out for crops during the sfi year. I could put down tg01 and claim for clover, or wheat and claim no insecticide and 'overwinter cover'. Which is correct? And for vice versa?

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

I've put an application in that I want to change. Can someone confirm the only way to do it, is wait until they make an offer, decline it and then submit a new application? TIA

 

[Hindsight]

I've put an application in that I want to change. Can someone confirm the only way to do it, is wait until they make an offer, decline it and then submit a new application? TIA

Hi AP. Am afraid that is the only solution I came to. I had a client in same position. Wanted to remove a land parcel after submitted. RPA helpline said the processing system automated and cannot amend an application once submitted. But cannot withdraw until agreement offer issued.

 

[BenAdamsAgri]

Just filling in sfi form, It says you should have up to date land use code, so i updated the land use to what is/was planned for this years cropping. I then read that the land use should be "compatible with the land use code declared for a BPS 2023 application". Does this mean the land use codes should be the same as the land use in last years BPS form, IE do i need to go back and change the land use back to what it was? Or as long as arable is still arable and grass is still grass it doesn't matter?

yes change it back to 23 bps solved some of my issues

 

[Andy26]

Just filling in sfi form, It says you should have up to date land use code, so i updated the land use to what is/was planned for this years cropping. I then read that the land use should be "compatible with the land use code declared for a BPS 2023 application". Does this mean the land use codes should be the same as the land use in last years BPS form, IE do i need to go back and change the land use back to what it was? Or as long as arable is still arable and grass is still grass it doesn't matter?

I had to change some of my land use, to different from BPS 2023 as it wouldn't allow IPM4 in a field that have previously been AB15, which you had to record as TG01 (temporary grass) on BPS.

 

[Hindsight]

I've put an application in that I want to change. Can someone confirm the only way to do it, is wait until they make an offer, decline it and then submit a new application? TIA

I meant to add the RPA helpline did say that could email in to request the application be withdrawn. But we were concerned that it then might be longer for the system to activate that request and make the SBI live again.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

I meant to add the RPA helpline did say that could email in to request the application be withdrawn. But we were concerned that it then might be longer for the system to activate that request and make the SBI live again.

How long roughly does it take to get the offer?

 

[Hindsight]

How long roughly does it take to get the offer?

Difficult to tell, in my experience. I have had a few go in now. Quickest was four or five days last November. Others have been two to three weeks. Currently go one in the pipeline submitted February 2nd. So bit random. Hear on here of quicker.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Difficult to tell, in my experience. I have had a few go in now. Quickest was four or five days last November. Others have been two to three weeks. Currently go one in the pipeline submitted February 2nd. So bit random. Hear on here of quicker.

Thanks, that doesn’t sound too bad

 

[chaos]

I submitted my application on the 17th of Jan.Had Message to say application was ready to go
live beginning of February. Went on the portal and saw that they were still checking application
So phoned rpa to be told that they have a computer glitch on the hedge action's, anybody else
in the same situation?

 

[Kentishfarmer]

I'm looking at putting a lot of our permanent pasture into LIG1 at £151/ha its not far off what BPS used to be and doesn't seem too restrictive - rather like GS2 except you can supplementary feed so long as you don't poach. Can anyone see any reason why I shouldn't commit a large area to LIG1? Only issue I see is the

This action’s aim (applicable to LIG1 and LIG2) is that the grassland produces a sward with:

• a variety of plant heights by autumn, with some covering of flowering grasses and wildflowers left to go to seed and tussocky grass allowed to develop

That might be a bit difficult to evidence if its had sheep on it that year and fairly tight

Thoughts? Anyone had to demonstrate the variety of plant heights on GS2 when its been a bit short?

 

[AndrewM]

if you dont apply any nitrogen to it already go for it, i find 7.2kg/Ha N limt too restrictive. have you looked though the list of descriptions for the payments that are coming in the summer? im waiting till the summer when they publish more details, dont want to tie up grassland that might be eligeble for a higher payment rate. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-combined-environmental-land-management-offer

 

[Kentishfarmer]

if you dont apply any nitrogen to it already go for it, i find 7.2kg/Ha N limt too restrictive. have you looked though the list of descriptions for the payments that are coming in the summer? im waiting till the summer when they publish more details, dont want to tie up grassland that might be eligeble for a higher payment rate. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-combined-environmental-land-management-offer

I couldn't see any "new" options that would be relevant for general lowland permanent pasture? We haven't applied any N to these fields since the fert prices shot up a couple of years ago and realised we are often fine without any, before we had only applied a low early dose to try and speed up cattle turnout in the spring. Did you get the 7.2kg/ha from the available N in the 12t/ha of cattle fym equivalent you can apply?

 

[Bodge]

Have been looking into herbal leys (sam3) but we have a lot of HEFER sites on all but three small parcels. Some of the sites cover a big proportion of the parcel and others minute.
Today I phoned RPA to find out if I could do sam3 as a part parcel excluding the HEFER sites which they could not give me an answer on and suggested I speak to natural England or attempt an application and see.
Started an application and to my surprise the eligible land area for said option was 100% on all but 2 parcels.
Do they factor HEFER’s in at a later date?
Is there anyway to get sam3 on parcels containing a historic site?
TIA

 

[ffukedfarmer]

if you dont apply any nitrogen to it already go for it, i find 7.2kg/Ha N limt too restrictive. have you looked though the list of descriptions for the payments that are coming in the summer? im waiting till the summer when they publish more details, dont want to tie up grassland that might be eligeble for a higher payment rate. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-combined-environmental-land-management-offer

Am I reading the nutrient limits correctly? I thought you could apply 12t / ha of FYM or equivalent amounts of nutrients as fertiliser. ADHB gives cattle FYM as 6kg / T N which equates to 72kg N / ha.

 

[Kentishfarmer]

Am I reading the nutrient limits correctly? I thought you could apply 12t / ha of FYM or equivalent amounts of nutrients as fertiliser. ADHB gives cattle FYM as 6kg / T N which equates to 72kg N / ha.

I thought I'd read the ~70kg/ha figure somewhere too. I think Andrew M might have gotten the decimal point in the wrong place?

 

[Hindsight]

Am I reading the nutrient limits correctly? I thought you could apply 12t / ha of FYM or equivalent amounts of nutrients as fertiliser. ADHB gives cattle FYM as 6kg / T N which equates to 72kg N / ha.

I thought I'd read the ~70kg/ha figure somewhere too. I think Andrew M might have gotten the decimal point in the wrong place?

Andrew is correct. 72 kg N is the amount of total N in FYM. 7.2kg is the 10 available N. If you take a look closer at the supporting guidance for the LIG1 option it refers to available N equivalent to 12 t/ha FYM. And then refer to RB209 Fertiliser Recommendations.