Sorry I mean you can do it in the main scheme from 2022; the pilot rules are unchanged. They're 3 year agreements because we need to have a minimum period to deliver environmental benefits. You can't take parcels out during that 3 year period, but you can add in parcels, levels of ambition and other standards. The idea is to make sure we see environmental impacts (hence the minimum 3 year period and no reduction in coverage during that time), but allow farmers to build up gradually if they want to (which we know a lot of farmers prefer, rather than having to go all in for a 5-year period as you have to in CS)@Janet Hughes Defra Sorry Janet; do you mean we can do this now on the pilot agreement we’ve already signed, sealed and delivered…or we can do it from the 2022 scheme year? Also; if we can alter things for each scheme year…why are they 3 year agreements? Thanks and really appreciate your time; each 2 minutes of your time here is saving us 45 mins of being on hold to the defra/RPA helpline and potentially still being none the wiser afterwards!
Good morning Janet,can I hijack this first post today and ask that you answer post 56 please?Sorry I mean you can do it in the main scheme from 2022; the pilot rules are unchanged. They're 3 year agreements because we need to have a minimum period to deliver environmental benefits. You can't take parcels out during that 3 year period, but you can add in parcels, levels of ambition and other standards. The idea is to make sure we see environmental impacts (hence the minimum 3 year period and no reduction in coverage during that time), but allow farmers to build up gradually if they want to (which we know a lot of farmers prefer, rather than having to go all in for a 5-year period as you have to in CS)
I know we have a lot to do on this front; we're working on it. We're making the scheme rules, forms and paperwork much simpler and more straightforward, and we're going to put everything into a single service where you can easily find what's relevant to you. You won't need to know whether it's SFI or Local Nature Recovery, you will just see all the options that are relevant to your farm type and location. We're working with farmers to develop this, if you'd like to get involved and help us get this right, then please get in touch - the more eyes we have on what we're doing, the better we can make it work for farmers.Wasn’t the intention that professional help wouldn’t be required to complete the new scheme applications?
The current BPS is easy to complete and a lot of people rely on professionals to apply.
ELMS is three schemes and then the SFI for example is spit into different standards with different record keeping requirements for each standard. Then you throw in the additional standards coming down the line, slurry scheme, CSS, farm
Investment scheme.
Can someone please explain how this won’t require professional advice and I very much doubt those professionals will be working for peanuts? Therefore a lot of the pot will not be staying in the bank for long.
A bit of info from yesterdays Times:
Carbon permits for industry have risen from £20/t at the beginning of the year to £76/t now. The government have stepped in and suspended the market in permits now due to the huge rise, worried about the cost for industry. They are considering releasing more permits from the ‘National Reserve’ to cool prices.
The rise in the cost of the permits has been attributed to more coal fired power stations being used in recent months as the gas price has spiralled
COP26: UK 'nowhere near' meeting targets agreed at Glasgow climate summit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59489563But Holwell does it not have to be regulated and controlled as ultimately the person paying the tax is you and me, and of those two more importantly me as I do not own a farm and farmland, so if the owner of farmland is to recieve payment the tax is a direct transfer of funds from me to you. Another cost burden. Government has to decide if this unregulated or an ordered mount. As we have seen with the recent unexpected rise in Gas prices something like that is not an electoral winner. Regulated tax it will end up being. I am just wondering how much the ordinary person will have to pay as they are nudged to be greener and taxed to provide cash to others to insulate their houses etc.
Aw bless. Those poor industry people, their nonsensical greenwash is becoming a wee bit pricey so the govt steps in. You really can't make it up.A bit of info from yesterdays Times:
Carbon permits for industry have risen from £20/t at the beginning of the year to £76/t now. The government have stepped in and suspended the market in permits now due to the huge rise, worried about the cost for industry. They are considering releasing more permits from the ‘National Reserve’ to cool prices.
The rise in the cost of the permits has been attributed to more coal fired power stations being used in recent months as the gas price has spiralled
be more sense for DEFRA to take on all these costs for the testing and stop the christmas present buying under the grant schemes , Your business can either afford the tools of your job or not ,
I have always been pretty self sufficient , making do and mend ,my kits old but reliable, i dont need some new shiney paint .
But i cant do anything with professional services , they are the biggest cost to my business for minimal return (except vets) , and being told i need to spend to stay in , just makes the whole change unviable
You say poor industry people. The reality is any tax paid by industry is passed down to the consumer - that's me by the way. Inflationary - unless government reduces another tax I have to pay. And this government ain't reducing any taxes.Aw bless. Those poor industry people, their nonsensical greenwash is becoming a wee bit pricey so the govt steps in. You really can't make it up.
Don't expect any sympathy from farmers on that point. We have been the ones left taking the hit for cheap food policy for decades as the only ones unable to pass on increased costs or prevent depressed prices.You say poor industry people. The reality is any tax paid by industry is passed down to the consumer - that's me by the way. Inflationary - unless government reduces another tax I have to pay. And this government ain't reducing any taxes.
i bet uptake will be bigger now as it will be a compulsory part of the sfi , I really dont get why this grant scheme is being funded to such an extent , the cost of these eligible items will rise accordingly . no one is a winner except manufactures ,We’ve had free (5 tests) or 80% subsidised soil testing in Wales for the last 5 years, paid for from the full 15% modulation rate from SFP.
Most farm haven’t taken it up, with lots seemingly suspicious that the government is building a database to beat us with.
Don't expect any sympathy from farmers on that point. We have been the ones left taking the hit for cheap food policy for decades as the only ones unable to pass on increased costs or prevent depressed prices.
As post #169@Janet Hughes Defra
Could you give some clarification to the OM soil tests.
what is the intended use from the results .
Will farmers be penalised if they are below a certain level, or drop from one year to the next.
Is there a national base to work from.
I’m trying to understand the point of them in isolation .?
the problem with that is that there are some soil labs i would not use due to their inherent unreliabilityThe point has been made repeatedly about opportunistic price raising by the supply industry when grant schemes fund a particular input, be it a slurry store, direct drill or a soil test.
Could DEFRA consider a system of direct funding soil testing to avoid this? Farms would request soil tests which would then be undertaken and paid for directly by DEFRA without the money actually going to the farm first. In this way DEFRA could issue a competitive tender contract for the work as a block to ensure best value and consistent methodology.
The soil tests get done, the farmers get the results (as do DEFRA) and cost inflation is discouraged.
Wouldn't that be a contract condition?the problem with that is that there are some soil labs i would not use due to their inherent unreliability
the govenment does not have a history very good procurement value for money
Hasn’t stopped suppliers to Hs2 raking it in.You say poor industry people. The reality is any tax paid by industry is passed down to the consumer - that's me by the way. Inflationary - unless government reduces another tax I have to pay. And this government ain't reducing any taxes.
And? I didn't invent the greenwashing or the finger pointing from the very industries that are using the most fossil fuels in the first place. As for the consumer (you and I) having to finally wake up well woopy doo. Bring it on.You say poor industry people. The reality is any tax paid by industry is passed down to the consumer - that's me by the way. Inflationary - unless government reduces another tax I have to pay. And this government ain't reducing any taxes.