As we move through to the final third of 2022, things are still continually evolving with regard to the new farm support schemes, and the changing BPS with us now knowing a little more than we did earlier in the year, but still awaiting details of many of the new schemes.
There are some up and coming deadlines, which need not to be missed:
The application window for the Lump Sum Exit Scheme for BPS is closing at the end of September, therefore anyone who is wishing to take up this offer from the RPA must get their paperwork to the RPA before the end of the month.
For anyone who applied and was awarded grant money under the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund you must have the items bought, on farm (operational) and paid for, together with the application form for the grant money completed and submitted by the end of October in order to receive payment for the items.
There has been no deadline announced yet for the Countryside Stewardship Capital grant, but if you are thinking of applying, then don't delay, especially if any of the items you wish to apply for require endorsement from Catchment Sensitive Farming as this needs obtaining prior to submitting an application for capital works.
At long last, we do have the initial options up and running under the Sustainable Farming Incentive. The 3 standards which are open for application currently are the arable and horticultural soil standard, the improved grassland standard and the moorland standard. There have been teething issues with applying for these standards since the application window opened, but these are gradually being smoothed out, and at the time of writing, most issues are sorted with the exception of applying for the moorland standard on common land, which is still proving to be problematical for the RPA computer system.
The next installment of SFI which we are awaiting is the animal annual health and welfare pathway, which we are promised will open in the autumn, but as yet we don't have an exact date, or any specific details.
As is a recurring theme in the farming press, things are changing rapidly, and evolving every day. If you require any help with any existing schemes, or wish to discuss any of the new schemes, then please do get in touch.