Are you wondering what 2010 will bring for your business? If you want to know, and ask experts your questions, take part in our free online outlook seminars.‘Ground-breaking’ scheme launched to replace set aside
FARMING and conservation groups joined forces with Government today (Thursday November 5), for the launch of a voluntary campaign to replace set-aside.
The Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) was hailed by industry leaders as a ground breaking agreement which will give farmers and landowners the opportunity to take the lead in providing environmental benefits from farming.
NFU president Peter Kendall said: “This is all about delivering a culture change in both farming practices and the way we approach regulation.
“Although it’s the most ambitious campaign farming has ever faced, the whole industry, from suppliers and advisers to farmers and landowners, is absolutely committed to making it work.
“The alternative is having the regulatory option forced upon us which will no doubt bring with it more red tape and cost to farmers and growers.
“We have all been challenged by the Secretary of State, who has shown belief in the farming industry, and it is now down to every single one of us to work together and deliver on our promises to secure and enhance the environmental management of farmland.”
A network of Beacon Farms will be established across the country to demonstrate how the Campaign will work in practice, as well as allowing other farmers and land managers to share ideas in backing the Campaign.
The Campaign will ask farmers and land managers to renew their existing Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) agreements and choose at least one in-field option, retain and correctly record their current area of uncropped land and adopt at least one voluntary measure to meet the campaign targets.
Farmers are being urged to take up the measures in the scheme to demonstrate to Government the industry can lead the way on environmental protection.
CLA president Henry Aubrey Fletcher said: “I urge every farmer, landowner and land manager to adopt at least one of the Campaign’s voluntary measures on your land, whether this be retaining and managing former set-aside to protect our soil and watercourses, increasing your game cover to provide winter food for farmland birds or sowing pollen and nectar mixes to boost your on-farm pollinators.”
Local Liaison Groups have been set up in target counties to provide tailored advice and guidance to farmers and land managers depending on the environmental challenges and opportunities in their area.
Campaign targets
- Double the area of key in-field ELS options (additional 40,000 hectares)
- Retain 179,000 hectares of uncropped land across England and improve the management of at least one third of this land to support habitats for birds, insects and mammals
- Increase the current national level of voluntary environmental management by at least 30,000 hectares
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Readers' comments (2)
cyberdoyle | 5 November 2009 4:06 pm
er, thought we were supposed to be growing more food?
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Broke Dairy Farmer | 5 November 2009 4:19 pm
We came out of ELS at the 5-year break point as we needed to sell land to pay off our debts. The threat of having to pay back subsidies if you terminate the agreement early due to having to sell your land is enough to put us off getting involved in any similar scheme. I also agree with cyberdoyle that we should be growing more food, if we return to 10% setaside then this will give us problems as the country's population grows.
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