"Three crop rule" removed for 2021 BPS year

[farenheit]

Government to cut red tape for farmers as they plan for 2021

Plans to reduce administrative burdens for farmers to enable them to focus on delivering environmental outcomes and transitioning to the new ELM scheme

www.gov.uk

I assume that means planting from this autumn onwards does not need to follow the three crop rule? Or does it need to be in place until the 2020 BPS has been paid (i.e. December)?

Either way, a sensible decision. I am not in favour of a bonfire of regulations but this seems to be fairly universally unpopular. It presumably had its merits in Germany to avoid swathes of AD maize, but didn't do much here.

 

[7610 super q]

Hate to be a party pooper, but does this apply to Wales too ?

 

[Cjm]

Unless I’m being blind (quite possible), there’s no mention in there of relaxing the three crop rule. This is about greening requirements....

 

[farenheit]

Unless I’m being blind (quite possible), there’s no mention in there of relaxing the three crop rule. This is about greening requirements....

Oh god, have I misread it? I just went and cancelled my hybrid barley seed order!!!!

Edit: I'm pretty sure three crop rule was one of the main tenets of 'greening' requirements.

 

[farmerm]

Unless I’m being blind (quite possible), there’s no mention in there of relaxing the three crop rule. This is about greening requirements....

3 crop rule is one of the greening requirements is it not?

if you look at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-payment-scheme-rules-for-2020

it states

Crop diversification rules removed for BPS 2020 but EFA and permanent grassland rules still apply
As the crop diversification rules have been removed for 2020, you will not have to comply with this part of the greening rules (also known as ‘the two or three crop rule’). However, you still need to meet the rest of the greening rules:

• maintaining at least 5% equivalent area of ecological focus area if you have more than 15 ha of arable land
• following the rules for the management of permanent grassland.

So... on that basis no need to worry about 3 crop rule for autumn sowing 2020...??

Government to cut red tape for farmers as they plan for 2021

Plans to reduce administrative burdens for farmers to enable them to focus on delivering environmental outcomes and transitioning to the new ELM scheme

www.gov.uk

I assume that means planting from this autumn onwards does not need to follow the three crop rule? Or does it need to be in place until the 2020 BPS has been paid (i.e. December)?

Either way, a sensible decision. I am not in favour of a bonfire of regulations but this seems to be fairly universally unpopular. It presumably had its merits in Germany to avoid swathes of AD maize, but didn't do much here.

So following my theory above there should be no need to meet the 3 crop rule this autumn but would have to continue to comply with the 5% EFA rule up to midnight on 31/12/2020....

Of course that page of guidance is not legislative so do not base your cropping decisions on my guess work!!

 

[farmerm]

There is another point to consider that suggests there is no longer a need to comply with the 3 crop rule for this Autumn...

The period that matters for compliance with the 3 crop (crop diversification period) is only May to June... and we are past June....

Do note as a slight oddity those with EFA cover crops must retain them until 15th January 2021..

 

[ajd132]

Have been informed by a couple of agents this includes the three crop rule

 

[snarling bee]

Good riddance.
The 3 crop rule did absolutely nothing for the environment as a whole, it just increased costs, particularly for contract farmers.
I felt it also did a lot of harm in the far north of the EU, in places where the only crop that they could grow was spring barley. How the fudge could they have 3 crops?

 

[ajd132]

Good riddance.
The 3 crop rule did absolutely nothing for the environment as a whole, it just increased costs, particularly for contract farmers.
I felt it also did a lot of harm in the far north of the EU, in places where the only crop that they could grow was spring barley. How the fudge could they have 3 crops?

Agree, shockingly thought out rule especially for us contracting farming as you say. 3000 acres in 6 holdings compared to a big estate which could theoretically grow an 8000 acre block of one crop

 

[Banana Bar]

3 crop rule is one of the greening requirements is it not?

if you look at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-payment-scheme-rules-for-2020

it states

Crop diversification rules removed for BPS 2020 but EFA and permanent grassland rules still apply
As the crop diversification rules have been removed for 2020, you will not have to comply with this part of the greening rules (also known as ‘the two or three crop rule’). However, you still need to meet the rest of the greening rules:

• maintaining at least 5% equivalent area of ecological focus area if you have more than 15 ha of arable land
• following the rules for the management of permanent grassland.

So... on that basis no need to worry about 3 crop rule for autumn sowing 2020...??



So following my theory above there should be no need to meet the 3 crop rule this autumn but would have to continue to comply with the 5% EFA rule up to midnight on 31/12/2020....

Of course that page of guidance is not legislative so do not base your cropping decisions on my guess work!!

This publication is dated 15 th July 2020, my understanding was that the 3 crop rule had been ditched earlier in the year ( for 1 season ), this now appears to be gone for good. Very happy with that, I’m not sure however, where we stand with land currently down to EFA, can we pull it up, if so when?

BB

 

[4course]

just seen this ,does it mean that farmers no longer from 1st jan 2021 have to follow efa greening as well as 3 crop rule abolished

 

[JLLM]

Hate to be a party pooper, but does this apply to Wales too ?

Doubt it.

 

[Mrfarmjunk]

just seen this ,does it mean that farmers no longer from 1st jan 2021 have to follow efa greening as well as 3 crop rule abolished

Correct

 

[Farma Parma]

No Make any diff here i grow more than 3 crops every year anyways..... far better for the rotation i think

 

[ajd132]

No Make any diff here i grow more than 3 crops every year anyways..... far better for the rotation i think

Yes, but for contract farms it makes it very restrictive. We grow a decent rotation these days but sometimes we’ve been randomly putting in a small area of a 3rd crop that is not needed and creates a load of headaches.

 

[ollie989898]

Good riddance.
The 3 crop rule did absolutely nothing for the environment as a whole, it just increased costs, particularly for contract farmers.
I felt it also did a lot of harm in the far north of the EU, in places where the only crop that they could grow was spring barley. How the fudge could they have 3 crops?

Making people grow more crops than they want was utter bullship from the start and the NFU should have thrown it out. I will never for the life of me understand why it was put in.

 

[4course]

OH HAPPY DAYS
if the greening requirements have gone ( still not 100% sure) I will now be able once again to farm my farm without having to feck about with grass fallow ,extra buffer strips , establishing catch or cover crops by random dates and specific fields,worrying about which field puts us over the 3 crop rule requirement ,ensuring the hedges dont have gaps and a few other complications that have put a brake on and caused a loss of output.Im on a quest to replace the diminishing area payments £ and this will help a bit ,at least until the the new schemes become workable or we have other streams in place

 

[Hindsight]

Brexit delivers, hooray. All those Leave votes justified. Now just need a trade deal so we can export malting barley, lamb, dairy products tariff free. But no one will be forced to grow three crops.

 

[7610 super q]

Brexit delivers, hooray. All those Leave votes justified. Now just need a trade deal so we can export malting barley, lamb, dairy products tariff free. But no one will be forced to grow three crops.

Yawn. Ending the 3 crop rule will earn me a couple of £k more per year, which may not sound much to you blokes with your £250k subs, but to me it's a lot of money.

 

[Hindsight]

Yawn. Ending the 3 crop rule will earn me a couple of £k more per year, which may not sound much to you blokes with your £250k subs, but to me it's a lot of money.

C'mon, you love it really!! Anyway there will not be £250k subs in a few years as Brexit definitely has resulted in the demise of direct subs that you consider so unfair. Be interesting to see how things pan out.