Time for farmers to look again at CSS

Farmers yet to sign up to the scheme should reconsider its potential, with options on offer that could help boost business resilience as the industry enters a period of change. CSS has now opened for applications for agreements with a January 1, 2021, start date.

The scheme may be five years old, but to date it has attracted lower numbers of applicants than the Entry Level Stewardship Scheme it replaced, despite it having the potential to deliver higher revenues than ELS.

Now is an excellent time to review the potential contribution CSS can make to a farming business. A well-structured mid-tier CSS agreement can work for many farmers on a practical and financial level, as well as delivering for the environment.

The benefits of a mid-tier CSS agreement starting in January 2021 include locking into a guaranteed revenue stream for the next five years. This will become increasingly important as Basic Payment Scheme support starts falling away from 2021 and it will be at least 2024 before the new Environmental Land Management System is rolled out nationwide.

Dan Matthews, farm consultant in the Shrewsbury office of Strutt & Parker