Whole Farm Countryside Stewardship
- Thread starter tompick
- Start date
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
We lost a small ( 70 ha ) contract farm last autumn where the landowner was putting everything into stewardship.
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
We have 1/3 of the farm in, no worries about weather or prices. I think stewardship uptake is still low so they are likely to accept applications. Lower turnover so it won't cover the costs of a lot of fancy kit, but can be better financially so long as this is taken into consideration. BUT... how much longer will these current schemes be around? Their replacements may not be worth doing, so risky to become too reliant on them. Also remember it would take investment to get back up to speed with kit and inputs to restart food production after being out of it for a few years.
I'm not certain I trust our lot to come up with fair, workable environmental schemes when they are free of the EU
I'm not certain I trust our lot to come up with fair, workable environmental schemes when they are free of the EU
Nearly
Member
- Location
- North of York
On the day after hell freezes over.
- Location
- Romney Marsh
Can you live with no income for several years when the incompetent twots from the RPA don't pay you !?!
Please don't do it, unless you are a multi millionaire that really don't need the money and like a stack of hassel from people that should be unemployed.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
Or find at the end of the agreement period that they've reclassified your farm into some sort of permanent environmental status, and you can't farm it commercially any more, nor will they pay you anything either.
Don’t think it doesn’t happen....
40% of my farmed area they think they have property rights on. Last payment I had was in 2012.
Fiacre
Member
- Location
- South West England
It's land nationalisation by another means. Unless you are willing to become a serf on your own land don't do it.
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
Yes there can be problems with schemes on land that's unimproved/semi natural, areas with historical features/SSSI's. May be safer on bare arable, I ploughed and leveled all our permanent pasture and ridge and furrow for this reason. Seems a shame but it's their game, I'm just playing it.
The schemes are supposed to help wildlife but the last thing you want to let happen is any rare or protected species turning up or valuable habitat forming
The schemes are supposed to help wildlife but the last thing you want to let happen is any rare or protected species turning up or valuable habitat forming
yellow belly
Member
- Location
- south west lincolnshire
Agree with this view
Need to have ‘cultivation’ records for all field
Cultivation is fertiliser lime applied as well is physical cultivation
We need to keep all options open as there is no certainty on what agricultural policy will be in 5 years time ( depends on the government then either in ,out ,con ,lab ,lib ,brexit or a combination of any )
Being paid late is an additional finance cost to the application but is less than the variance in crop and livestock prices / yield
Some stewardship options pay £600 per ha on top of bps giving a bigger gross margins than the 5 year average of most rotations taking out the weather risk of low yields
If your rotation guarantees 10t of wheat and 5tonne of rape per ha then there is no benefit
Yes. Virtually all of mine is in CS Higher Tier. It was the only way to unlock options I'm already doing like overwintered stubbles and cover crops. I left out some of the permanent pasture as it was more cost than benefit. Reduced cultivation depth on fields with archaeology? No brainer when you're already direct drilling. Lots of capital works for fencing, hedge laying & water pipes. Scrub clearance on SSSIs? Cheers. Unproductive field corners into nectar flower plots? Nice. AB9 winter seed plots? They hold game birds pretty well.
The seeds mixtures are expensive but after year 1-2 when the management requirements drop the last few years are all rolling the cash back in. Net Profit? I doubt it but I've been able to adjust fixed costs to compensate for the loss of land no longer cropped - this might affect those without scale to dilute overheads. I have one less tractor on the balance sheet with all the land not farmed. Loss forgone on the bad bits of land? Definitely. Environmental features in government statistics - good.
He who pays the piper also gets to call the tune. What are you all doing with those marginal pieces of land you're only getting BPS on?
- Location
- Minehead,Somerset
I m facing this question right now as I m renegotiating a FBT and my LL wants 20% of my arable planted to decidious trees, 40% in various grass schemes, 12m margins on remaining arable,no maize or OSR plus trees and orchards on PP. Only going to have around 70 acs left from current 235 acs arable plus 70 acs PP . They took 2 years to come up with plan and gave it to me 10 days ago so we ve missed HLS application for 2019.Not sure what will happen.
- Location
- Worcestershire
They want it back then .
- Location
- Minehead,Somerset
To be fair, they want me to get in a scheme and in effect get the money , but that might be due to the fact that they could not themselves get the funding so in a way they need me?
However ,to complecate the situation, there is a European funded flood prevention scheme which has happened down stream of me(over last 5 years)but as the water comes from my area, they now want to include and extend the flood protection area to hold up water hence the grassing out etc of my arable ground.
The issue is obviously will we be in or out of Europe and when, will parliament get to May 2022 to protect payments, how long and is HLS etc going to be available next year or 2021 ie very uncertain times ?!
However ,to complecate the situation, there is a European funded flood prevention scheme which has happened down stream of me(over last 5 years)but as the water comes from my area, they now want to include and extend the flood protection area to hold up water hence the grassing out etc of my arable ground.
The issue is obviously will we be in or out of Europe and when, will parliament get to May 2022 to protect payments, how long and is HLS etc going to be available next year or 2021 ie very uncertain times ?!
They still need someone to manage it. I think @Oscar needs to do some research on what the landlord wants to gain then work out a way of getting some of any perceived extra benefit. Forgoing lots of the BPS in the form of rent must mean the LL has the promise of another source of income from the flood mitigation scheme. Whether or not it's as lucrative as BPS by proxy (renting out as arable) is another question but they obviously realise the BPS won't underwrite their income for much longer.
Bear in mind most current CS schemes only make a profit if the productive capacity is severely limited. It's only designed to cover profit forgone. My Higher Tier CS will lose money over the 5-10 years of its life span, assuming they pay it all.
- Location
- Devon
Does your landlord use the same advisor as the National Trust?
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/national-trust-£1-farmer-in-court.289898/
Removing your ability to make a profit but giving you the responsibility for meeting the requirements of the schemes for their payments.... You need to be employed, not a tenant.
Ask them if the figures add up in that scenario.
- Location
- Minehead,Somerset
I m on the case and am in talks with LL and an advisor but can t make many plans due to uncertainty of current schemes and goverment/Europe.
Of intrest is they have asked ME to suggest a rent if all the changes happen ie what level of rent would be sustainable but again until I know what scheme I can get in and payments , its all academic at the moment
The LL have a new estate policy and are now more intrested in the look of the land and are going big into water and soil preservation rather than the rent roll so I ve been told .
Of intrest is they have asked ME to suggest a rent if all the changes happen ie what level of rent would be sustainable but again until I know what scheme I can get in and payments , its all academic at the moment
The LL have a new estate policy and are now more intrested in the look of the land and are going big into water and soil preservation rather than the rent roll so I ve been told .
yellow belly
Member
- Location
- south west lincolnshire
Give them a rent under each scenario
May take some working out but gives them the options and then their choice
Make sure you cover the likely risks with each option
May take some working out but gives them the options and then their choice
Make sure you cover the likely risks with each option
- Location
- Minehead,Somerset
- Tags
- yields