Shropshire Farming Talk: Dan Matthews of Ceres
Defra has provided some much-needed clarity on the future of Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) and agri-environmental funding, as another round of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) opened for applications.
This included several easy wins for farmers, such as funding for Nutrient Management Plans and Integrated Pest Management Plans, with agreements running for three years and paid quarterly in arrears.
This is a change from the five-year Countryside Stewardship (CSS) agreements, which are paid annually.
Whilst the application window for existing CSS management agreements has now closed, CSS Capital Grants continue to offer a wide selection of financial support through options such as Concrete Yard Renewals and grants tailored to livestock farmers, without necessitating involvement in other CSS or SFI management agreements. This is helping farmers get ahead of the changes in legislation.
As the government continues increasing pressure on farmers to protect ecological systems and improve their emissions liabilities, capital grants can be used to bridge the gap in funding and facilitate changes.
The Defra-funded Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) can also be used. This is a scheme which provides farmers and landowners with access to free advice, with the view to future-proofing farm businesses in the new era.
The consultancy can cover topics including, but not limited to:
1. Guidance on grant schemes – helping to deliver improved budgeting for the post-BPS world.
2. Audits of farm emissions – establishing a farm’s current emissions burden ahead of future net-zero targets.
3. Appraisal of biodiversity net gain (BNG) viability – providing an estimate of a farm’s biodiversity baseline, as well as supply and demand in the farm’s locality.
You can register your interest by emailing futurefarming@ceresrural.co.uk
Dan Matthews is an Associate Business Partner at Ceres Rural office in Shrewsbury.
