Making sense of new farm subsidies and grants
The “agricultural transition period” will run from 2021 to 2027 and will see the current Basic Payment Scheme and Countryside Stewardship Scheme phased out and replaced with a new Environmental Land Management Scheme, together with a range of grant schemes aimed at farm investment, retiring farmers and new entrants.
The Countryside Stewardship Scheme will continue to be open for new agreements until 2023/4, after which all new environmental grants and payments will fall under ELMS. In the meantime, I recommend applying for Countryside Stewardship as it provides a good opportunity to adapt to the new schemes and to be well prepared for ELMS, while also creating an extra source of income.
Any new entrants to Countryside Stewardship will be able to end their agreement early and change it to an ELM scheme once ELMS has been brought in, should they wish to do so.
Currently no detail has been published regarding the specific grants and payment rates that will be available under ELMS, although it has been confirmed that the new scheme will be made up of three components – the sustainable farming incentive, local nature recovery, and landscape recovery.
Ben Dutton, graduate surveyor at Halls
