DEFRA have launched the new Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) Scheme which is part of the ELMS. Several hundred farmers will be involved in the first phase of piloting, with the scheme set to be further rolled out in 2022. What is the objective? The aim of the SFI is to compensate you for taking actions to manage your land in an environmentally sustainable way. These actions will be grouped into packages and set out as standards, to help you identify which actions are most

The application window for BPS 2021 has opened online today, and you can start your application at www.gov.uk/claim-rural-payments The deadline for applications is 17th May, but I suggest you start working on checking your data as soon as possible. There are a few changes this year: All 3 greening requirements have been removed – crop diversification, Ecological Focus Areas and the greening permanent grassland rules There is no entitlement expiry date from 2021 onwards S

Some farms haven’t been able to apply fertiliser to grassland yet. With fields slowly drying up, fertiliser applications are all going to be late – therefore rates need recalculating. A lot of leys and new reseeds will take some time to dry out enough to drive on without rutting them. In some areas there is already a good grass cover of 5-6” and the crop looks green – if this is the case for you then you need to consider if your fertilise it at all. The fertiliser needs to