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Jack Dafters BA, Stags Graduate Rural Surveyor, discusses the circulation of rumours regarding the future of DEFRA’s Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), which has continued to cause uncertainty amongst farmers and land managers over the past few months.
ELMS are the first example of post-Brexit agri-environment schemes and are designed to replace the often-criticised, EU-funded Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which provided payment based on area of land farmed.
ELMS are composed of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Local Nature Recovery scheme and Landscape Recovery scheme.
These new schemes are presented as a subsidy system in which farmers and landowners will be paid ‘public money for public goods.’ This will be based on providing environmental benefits such as soil health improvement or biodiversity increase at a variety of scales.
Media reports in recent weeks have suggested that a ‘review’ of ELMS may signal a possible U-turn with regards to their implementation. This has caused further anxiety and uncertainty for farmers who have already been voicing their disappointment concerning lack of clarity and disappointing payment rates in relation to the SFI.
DEFRA have claimed that there are no plans to scrap ELMS and a review will be released at the end of October 2022. However, they state that, “in light of the pressures farmers are facing as a result of the current global economic situation…it’s only right that we look at how best to deliver the schemes to see where and how improvements can be made.”
Clarity around grant payments is essential to many farmers and hopefully a clearer direction will emerge following the release of the October review.
For any information or advice surrounding subsidy payments and agri-environment schemes, please call the Stags Professional Services team on 01884 235701.
