Page 112 - Basic Payment Scheme News Today

Caution needed as NI open slurry period commences 2 February 2021 | Slurrying should only be carried out if ground conditions are suitable, the UFU warns Northern Irish farmers have been told to act with extra caution after the open slurry period commenced on 1 February. The open period for spreading slurry started on Monday, and the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has warned farmers to ensure they are abiding by all guidelines. After snow and heavy rainfall last week, many areas across the regi...

Never before has the relationship between politics, science and the mood of the people been more evident than in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Government decisions on lockdowns to contain the virus are careful political calculations based on the scientific advice offered by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) set against the politicians’ assessment of the public appetite for restrictions.

Organic Farming Scheme to re-open to new entrants The Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) will reopen to new entrants in the first week of March, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Pippa Hackett has announced. The re-opening, subject to EU Commission approval, is expected to result in an increase of up to 30% in the number of farmers farming organically in Ireland this year. The OFS is an agri-environment measure under the Department’s Rural Development Programme...

Stable market is time for dairy sector to address challenges >More in © Tim Scrivener Relatively stable milk prices and production offer a chance for producers to focus on costs and efficiency, says farm business consultant Andersons. The firm has forecast a dip in the business surplus – essentially profit – to 2.8p/litre in the current milk year for its 200-head model dairy farm, with an improvement to 4p/litre in 2021-22. The AHDB...

A key feature of the CAP post 2020 proposals is the increased environmental ambition. EU Agriculture Ministers agreed a Council General Approach on the CAP proposals at the end of last year. At the core of this agreement, which demonstrates the higher levels of climate ambition, are the new Eco-Schemes under Pillar I. Countries will design Eco-Schemes based on their own analysis of priorities and the schemes will include precision farming, agro-forestry, and organic farming. Farmers will be abl...

2020 Sheep and Goat Census can still be completed online Farmers have been reminded that, while the deadline of postal forms has now closed, 2020 Sheep and Goat Census submissions can still be made online. In a statement today (Tuesday, February 2), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed that the closing date for receipt of completed 2020 census forms returned by post was yesterday (Monday, February 1, 2021). However, an extended deadline to February 15, 2021, applies for ...

What are the changes to nitrates derogation you should know about? Continuous declines in water quality and increases in greenhouse has (GHG) and ammonia emissions will make it more difficult to secure derogation in the future, according to Teagasc. In 2020, just shy of 6,500 derogation applications were submitted and eight new changes have since come into effect so farmers must be conscious they are compliant heading into 2021. Compulsory Liming Programme From January 2020, farmers must have i...

Civil servants in Northern Ireland have given the first official outline of how new farm support payments could look in the region post-2021. Rosemary Agnew, director of the department’s Brexit Food and Farming Group, told the Stormont Agriculture Committee on Thursday (January 28) the main form of support would likely be a ‘Basic Income Support Payment’. “[It will be] very, very similar, but a simplified version of what the Basic Payment Scheme is,” she said. “And that would be a...

Controls for Protein Aid Scheme to reduce on-farm inspections Controls for this year’s Protein Aid Scheme will, for the first time, be undertaken remotely through the use of the Area Monitoring System (AMS). Checks by Monitoring (CbM) is an automated and continuous process which will use satellite data along with other data sources to determine the agricultural activity on all land parcels declared by farmers under the Protein Aid Scheme in 2021. To facilitate the implementation of the AMS, w...

Environment Bill delay adds to uncertainty for farm businesses >More in © Tim Scrivener Fresh delays to the government’s Environment Bill will add to the uncertainty for farmers and landowners planning their businesses, say industry leaders. The government announced on Tuesday (26 January) it had delayed the landmark bill by six months into the autumn, citing a lack of parliamentary time to discuss the reforms due to the Covid-19 cris...