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Welcome to our latest newsletter, which contains a variety of updates for our agricultural clients and contacts.

If this news does not affect your business, please feel free to share this newsletter with your farming contacts, as there are some useful grants available.

Farming in protected landscapes programme

This scheme offers funding to farmers and land managers in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), National Parks and the Broads.

It opened for applications from July 2021 and will run to March 2024.

The programme will fund projects that support nature recovery, mitigate the impacts of climate change, provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage and support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses.

You can contact the relevant Protected Landscape body to find further information and to request an application form.

England Woodland Creation Offer

The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is a new grant to support the creation of new woodland and is administered by the Forestry Commission. EWCO opened for applications on 9 June 2021.

Many of the options offered under the existing Woodland creation and maintenance grant are also available under EWCO and claimants may be eligible for higher payment rates. For farmers wishing to apply for this new scheme rather than The Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation and Maintenance grant, the Forestry Commission will offer you support and guidance to apply if they are contacted by 9 July 2021.

With the EWCO the minimum application area has been reduced to one hectare.

The scheme offers:

• A cap of £8,500 per hectare for a range of items including trees, fencing and protection

• Supplements to a maximum of £8,000/ha

• Annual payments for 10 years of £200/ha

Farming Investment Fund

Defra has said that this fund should launch in autumn 2021 and will provide part-funding towards equipment and projects which will improve profitability and deliver environmental goods. Although full details are not yet available a framework has already been provided to help farmers plan ahead.

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund will offer smaller grants towards the purchase of equipment, technology and infrastructure items whilst the Farming Transformation Fund will support larger or more complicated investments.

Farming Resilience Fund

The Farming Resilience Fund is designed to offer support to farmers and land managers to help them plan for the future. Any farmer or land manager currently in receipt of direct payments is eligible.

The support offered to farmers will be available in phases from August 2021 and will provide business advice and support services until 2024.

Slurry Investment Scheme

This scheme will open in 2022 and will help farmers to invest in new slurry stores that exceed current regulatory requirements.

Three new environmental land management schemes

Sustainable Farming Incentive

This scheme is being piloted. The full scheme will launch in 2022, initially for farmers in England who currently get payments under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). Farmers will get paid to carry out a set of actions to:

• reduce levels of sediment, nutrients and chemical pollution in water

• reduce flooding, erosion and run-off

• decrease greenhouse gas emissions

• improve carbon storage, water storage and biodiversity

Local Nature Recovery

Local Nature Recovery is a scheme that pays for locally-specific actions to benefit the environment and climate.

The scheme will begin piloting in 2022, and launch in 2024.

Landscape Recovery

The scheme will support landscape and ecosystem recovery through long-term projects and will begin piloting around 10 projects in 2022, and launch in 2024.

Animal Health and Welfare Pathway

This will provide funding to help farmers produce healthier animals to the highest standards of welfare.

Applications will open in 2022.

Tree Health Scheme

This scheme is for felling and the treatment of diseased trees in certain situations and restocking following felling for trees with an eligible tree health issue.

A pilot for Tree Health scheme will launch in August 2021.

New Entrant Support Scheme

The New Entrant Support scheme aims to encourage new starters into farming. Applications will open in 2022.

Lump Sum Exit Scheme

In 2022, Defra will publish details of an exit scheme to help farmers who wish to retire. It will offer a lump sum in place of any further Basic Payment Scheme payments and de-linked payments.

Once we know more about the scheme, we will be able to comment on how these payments will be treated for tax purposes.

We are here to help and support you. Please get in touch with us if you want to discuss any matters raised in this newsletter.

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Disclaimer

In preparing this newsletter, every effort has been made to ensure the content is up to date and accurate. However, available information changes continually, so we cannot guarantee its applicability or correctness.

The newsletter is intended for general guidance only. Before making any decisions based on information or matters relating to its content, please take professional advice for your individual circumstances.

Please contact Shepherd Partnership for support and advice tailored to you and your business.