Be prepared for first stage of new stewardship rules

3:52pm Wednesday 4th June 2008

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NATURAL England has confirmed that it is going to implement the first stage of its changes to the Environmental Stewardship rules this summer; and for those farmers already in the scheme and those preparing to make an application, you need to be aware of the proposals.

The bible to all the schemes is the Handbook which does in fact form part of the binding legal documentation.

It is a little unfortunate and inconsiderate that the old Handbook is now being withdrawn but the new rules will not be published until sometime towards the end of July.

As a gesture to avoid casting us adrift totally without a paddle, Natural England has published on its website what is called a presentation of the changes.

You really need to look at these in detail but they cover amendments to the documentation, changes to the ELS rules and a move to a "spatial approach" for HLS.

Having looked through the 20-page presentation I picked out these new proposals which will give you a flavour, but please log on if you want the full story:

* Options for set aside land within the new scheme rules will be withdrawn.

* There will no longer be an option for brassica fodder crops as this is considered to give rise to a risk of soil erosion.

* With field corner management on arable land the minimum area has been increased from one hectare to two hectares.

* With 6m uncropped margins, the width can range between 3m and 6m in future.

* Field corners on grassland can't be grazed.

* One helpful amendment is that supplementary feeding will be permitted on grassland.

* The no cutting period for hedgerows has been extended to the end of August apparently to benefit late nesting birds.

From the Natural England announcement, it would seem that all new agreements will fall under the new Handbook so far as ELS is concerned; and for HLS agreements, they have given a November 1 start date.

Glimmer of hope in Sheep EID battle

With a rare expression of great wisdom, our MEPs unanimously voted last week in favour of revising the controversial EC proposals on sheep EID.

Putting it gently, but firmly, the Scottish NEP pronounced that "the Commission's proposals on sheep ID are well intentioned but flawed".

The report, considered by the European Parliament, highlighted the difficulty in implementation, unacceptable costs and unproven benefits; and recommended that it should be introduced on a voluntary basis by individual states.

It is interesting that this report also demanded new labelling regulations on sheep meat products which would clearly show the country of origin.

Another useful proposal is to introduce a 14-day notice period before single payment inspections can be made which would at least give us a reasonably civilised timescale to prepare.

The sheep EID struggle looks like being a test of strength between our European Parliament and the unelected Commission, but history shows that the democratic body has a poor winning record.

Bluetongue area changes

Defra does its best to contrive to make life difficult for us in the real world and its machinations over bluetongue have been no exception.

Last week on its website it was declared that the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire, together with Selby District, would be put into the protection zone which immediately excluded 50-70 per cent of cattle from our markets at York and Malton.

However late on Friday afternoon we heard a whisper that the vaccine had not come through in sufficient quantities and what was available would be targeted towards Cornwall and Wales.

As a consequence the surveillance and protection zones stayed as they were previously.

At the time of writing there has been no further announcement but you need to watch this space pretty closely and if in doubt ring the market.

90 per cent payment achieved

Although it will be little consolation to those farmers still waiting for their SP, the RPA has proudly announced that it achieved its target of paying 90 per cent of farmers by the end of May.

For my part I still think it is an absolute disgrace that seven months after we could have been paid, there are still 10 per cent of claimants waiting for their much-needed cash and upon which they will get no interest whatever.

It is not right and the window is far too wide to allow the RPA to get away with such incompetence.

There is little doubt that if we withheld our tax payments the Inland Revenue would be down on us like a tonne of bricks.

Ministers fail to attend EU meeting

Last week there was an informal meeting arranged to discuss key elements of the CAP health check proposals that were announced a fortnight ago, and despite the agriculture ministers from all other prominent EU states being present, there was no representation whatever from the UK.

As the Shadow Agriculture Minister Jim Paice declared, "It is absolutely indefensible that no Government minister bothered to attend a meeting where the future of European agriculture was being determined".

Fridlington farms win pig award

Congratulations to Fridlington Farms of Sutton-on-the-Forest who have won this year's Batch Farrower Award for pigs.

They switched to a two-week batch farrowing five years ago and have achieved better slaughter weights and herd health as a result.

Output in the last 12 months has been a staggering 24.1 pigs per sow per year with 10.26 reared per litter and an average of 2.35 litters per sow per year.

These figures may not mean a lot to some but they are very impressive.

Mole control

I don't suppose we are on our own but the last year or two there seems to have been an explosion in our mole population; and various parts of our grassland look like a battlefield.

All that has now changed since I made contact with a mole controller by the name of Stephen Gould of Pickering.

I am sure there will be others in the area with similar skills but I have been fascinated and well rewarded by watching Stephen rapidly reduce our mountainous problem.

Bits and pieces

* A monkey puzzle tree has stood over a village near Swansea for 150 years and is being threatened with the axe because it's sharp leaves have been deemed by the authorities to present a pricking risk to children!

* I enjoyed this cartoon which appeared the other day of a man bent over a desk in a doctor's surgery with a bare bottom.

Behind him is a lady in a white coat peering at his rump and saying "It looks alright to me but I am only the secretary."

Market report

Forward 104 cattle including 29 bulls and 16 cows 1,112 sheep including 574 spring lambs and 294 ewes. Light steers to 169p C F Beal, Yedingham, heavy steers to 179p, D B Wass, Sinnington, ave 156.7p; Light heifers to 166p, C F Beal, Yedingham, ave 141.2p; heavy heifers to 176p, D R Jackson, Carnaby, ave 155.5p; Light bulls to 154p, Marwood Bros, Settrington, ave 141.8p; heavy bulls to 167p, E Mackley, Folkton, ave 151.3p;. OTMs to 135p, P Mason, Cottam, ave 119.7p; Bulls to 135p, C R Quarton, Hovingham, ave 129.6p; Standard lambs to 171p, R Welford, Carlton, ave 163.2p; medium lambs to 193p, Miss C Edwards, Mill Lane, ave 165.4p; Heavy lambs to 173.9p, M T Bulmer, Salton, ave 162.3p; Ewes to £91, N Hall and Son, Easingwold, ave £52.70.