Full picture 'still to emerge' for post-EU farm payments 20 January 2021 | It is still not clear what opportunities and schemes will replace EU support Big changes to the way that farmers and landowners are awarded funding took effect from 1 January 2021 – but 'the full picture is still to emerge'. Farmers are being urged to make sure they 'watch closely' as the new Agriculture Act takes shape, starting with the end of the Basic Payment System (BPS). Agricultural lawyer Alexandra Phillips said it was still not clear what opportunities and schemes would replace that support. The BPS is being phased out over the next seven years during the agricultural transition period, starting with the UK leaving the Common Agricultural Policy.