When do we notify RPA of our SFI rotational options?

[Grass And Grain]

Let's presume 1st Oct agreement start date.

I'd like flexibility with the SFI. If, for example, we have a wet autumn and I don't get drilling done, it would be handy to have a spring established SFI option available to me, then I could stick some land into this in spring if necessary. e.g. AHW11 Cultivated areas for arable weeds (spring established SFI option).

Is this possible? When do we need to tell RPA of our years SFI intentions. i.e. will I have to sort this at approximately 1st Oct each year, or can I tell them in saying May time when I know the area of spring established SFI that I'd ideally like.

 

[Grass And Grain]

i.e. can I have say 0.5 ha of spring established options, then if difficult autumn drilling use the option and claim it?

 

[Two Tone]

Fairly certain that you need to declare that you did the things you said you would, 2 months before the end of the first year of the agreement. They should be fairly flexible if you didn’t manage to get it all done due to the wet weather as long as you do get it done eventually.

 

[topground]

I expect that if the RPA decide you haven’t done what they expect you have a problem and what are you going to do about it since they are judge jury and executioner in their own court?
It’s all as clear as mud.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Fairly certain that you need to declare that you did the things you said you would, 2 months before the end of the first year of the agreement. They should be fairly flexible if you didn’t manage to get it all done due to the wet weather as long as you do get it done eventually.

I was sorting of meaning other way round. If it's possible to add things in in Spring. I suppose that would be feasible if I have a 1st April or 1st May start date.

Although I was hoping to have a 1st Sept or 1st Oct start date.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I was sorting of meaning other way round. If it's possible to add things in in Spring. I suppose that would be feasible if I have a 1st April or 1st May start date.

Although I was hoping to have a 1st Sept or 1st Oct start date.

Which sort of leads me to my next query.

If I have a 1st April '25 start date, 30th march end date and legume fallow in the agreement, how many legume fallow crops do I need?

Presume drill first field 1st August "25..Want to rotate it.

Do I need to keep the L fallow until 30th March '28?

 

[Grass And Grain]

Just read the SFI guidance, if I understand it correctly you can start new agreements at any time. So could have an agreement starting say 1st Oct '24 with just legume fallow. Then start a second agreement on 1st March '25 with a spring established option e.g. unharvested cereal headlands.

 

[farmerm]

Just read the SFI guidance, if I understand it correctly you can start new agreements at any time. So could have an agreement starting say 1st Oct '24 with just legume fallow. Then start a second agreement on 1st March '25 with a spring established option e.g. unharvested cereal headlands.

Multiple agreements with different areas of different option with different, overlapping start dates, similar options having different rules depending which scheme year they were applied in… that sure sounds like putting oneself on a fast track to the nearest mental health in patient unit! Multiple agreements is the route to madness and was madness anyone suggested it in the first place!

 

[Grass And Grain]

Multiple agreements with different areas of different option with different, overlapping start dates, similar options having different rules depending which scheme year they were applied in… that sure sounds like putting oneself on a fast track to the nearest mental health in patient unit! Multiple agreements is the route to madness and was madness anyone suggested it in the first place!

Michael Gove dreamed up ELMS, and said we'd be able to start an application at beginning of day and be finished ready for a well deserved pint at tea time.

We're into the third iteration of SFI and I still don't understand it all.

I was going to do some grassland options but worried I'll just get applied and then they'll announce some better options.

 

[ffukedfarmer]

Michael Gove dreamed up ELMS, and said we'd be able to start an application at beginning of day and be finished ready for a well deserved pint at tea time.

We're into the third iteration of SFI and I still don't understand it all.

I was going to do some grassland options but worried I'll just get applied and then they'll announce some better options.

Another reason why this scheme is so farcical. Early adopters are disadvantaged.

 

[farmerm]

Another reason why this scheme is so farcical. Early adopters are disadvantaged.

So are later ones. I couldn’t now claim for half what I put in for in January

 

[kit1023]

agreed, having been just quoted £168 / t for my feed wheat, makes my jan sfi start and options which i couldnt do now look a better bet!

 

[Vader]

Another reason why this scheme is so farcical. Early adopters are disadvantaged.

Don't know.
Early ones could put all farm in and sit back for 3 years.
I still can not get most the farm in till '25 due to cs

 

[farmer_martin]

Has anyone got any further with updating the location of rotational options for the second year of the agreement?

Had my email through this morning for submitting annual declaration for Nov23 start agreement and it states:

"If you have rotational actions in your agreement, you can still increase the area of these, or reduce them by up to 50%, in the same way as we have advised previously."

But in the rural payments service the annual declaration is just a tick box to say "I confirm I complied" and submit.

I would like to get locations up to date before applying for a 24 agreement due to incompatible options that need moving for everything to match up....

 

[DrWazzock]

Trying to plan areas of options that will be anything like constant over 3 years is just about impossible here without carving the place up into equal size blocks to make rotated options same area each year of the agreement. It’s a half baked mess for anything rotational with a variable area. Should have been an annual scheme. How will they cope with adjusting payments for these variable areas, some of which will need maintaining, reporting and monitoring for several months beyond the end of an agreement? I bet there isn’t even a system for that in place yet.
It all sounds simple till you get into the detail. The only way I can see of doing things at the moment is sticking with non rotational options unless you want a very complicated life!

 

[Fred]

Has anyone got any further with updating the location of rotational options for the second year of the agreement?

Had my email through this morning for submitting annual declaration for Nov23 start agreement and it states:

"If you have rotational actions in your agreement, you can still increase the area of these, or reduce them by up to 50%, in the same way as we have advised previously."

But in the rural payments service the annual declaration is just a tick box to say "I confirm I complied" and submit.

I would like to get locations up to date before applying for a 24 agreement due to incompatible options that need moving for everything to match up....

Did you get any further with this ,

 

[yellow belly]

i have rotational options on stweardship and rotaitonal actions on sfi

their fix for the potential clash is that the sfi agreement does not now have the fields for the rotational actions detailed it just has the action with a total area for the sfi
payments have not been affected

i assume the declaration when i have to do it will be on a total area under sfi not individual fields
this was rpas intention to reduce the administration
but under labour extra administration means more staff who vote labour and fund the labour party through union donations

i await how they will do it december 2023 start

 

[Hindsight]

i have rotational options on stweardship and rotaitonal actions on sfi

their fix for the potential clash is that the sfi agreement does not now have the fields for the rotational actions detailed it just has the action with a total area for the sfi
payments have not been affected

i assume the declaration when i have to do it will be on a total area under sfi not individual fields
this was rpas intention to reduce the administration
but under labour extra administration means more staff who vote labour and fund the labour party through union donations

i await how they will do it december 2023 start

Would be an interesting exercise to establish the voting preference of civil servants, Defra and ROA staff in particular, if nothing else to test your prejudice.

 

[L P]

Has anyone got any further with updating the location of rotational options for the second year of the agreement?

Had my email through this morning for submitting annual declaration for Nov23 start agreement and it states:

"If you have rotational actions in your agreement, you can still increase the area of these, or reduce them by up to 50%, in the same way as we have advised previously."

But in the rural payments service the annual declaration is just a tick box to say "I confirm I complied" and submit.

I would like to get locations up to date before applying for a 24 agreement due to incompatible options that need moving for everything to match up....

I've got the same issue, tried applying for 2024 options in a 2024 agreement which wouldn't let me for the 2023 agreement which is supposedly rotational. I've not contacted RPA yet but am wondering if an agreement year needs to be up before you can rotate for the following year. There doesn't seem to be another way around it at present.

 

[L P]

i.e. can I have say 0.5 ha of spring established options, then if difficult autumn drilling use the option and claim it?

No I don't believe you can alter your agreement mid season, the declaration certainly doesn't have the capability to amend it at the end. Pretty sure you'd have to commit at the start of the year.