BPS

Question 1

Where do funds for support payments come from?

Answer 1

A combination of national government money & EU CAP funds. Most CAP money is awarded as direct support payments, but some is used to deliver rural development measures, including agri-environment schemes.

Question 2

What must you have to claim BPS?

Answer 2

Eligible land Hold BPS entitlements Meet minimum claim size

Question 3

What land is eligible?

Answer 3

All agricultural land. Woodland, tracks, buildings, yards, solar farms are not, or any other land used for non-agricultural uses, unless they do not exceed 28 days.

Question 4

On a tenanted farm, who can claim BPS?

Answer 4

The tenant, if they have exclusive possession. If it is a grazing licence than the landlord can make the claim.

Question 5

What is the minimum claim size?

Answer 5

5 ha

Question 6

What are the rules on entitlements?

Answer 6

Farmers must activate all their entitlements in a single year at least once every 2 years (can’t rotate)

Question 7

What is capping?

Answer 7

5% reduction on payments over €150,000. Greening is not subject to this (direct payments only). High levels of capping are expected in 2020.

Question 8

How capping otherwise known?

Answer 8

Degressivity

Question 9

How much of a claimant’s BPS is conditional on complying with the Greening rules?

Answer 9

30%

Question 10

What are the 3 Greening rules?

Answer 10

1. Crop Diversification
2. Ecological Focus Areas
3. Retention of permanent pasture

Question 11

What are the plans post BREXIT for future payments?

Answer 11

• Same level of funding till 2022 (end of current parliment)
• A scheme like BPS will continue in the short term till 2020.
• By 2028 there will be no direct payments
• Transitional period for 5 years after 2021
• in 2021 all payments up to £30,000 will see a 5% reduction increasing incrementaly by payment band up to over £150,000 which will be reduced by 25%
• ELMs will be phased in (piloted from 2021 to 2024) to replace direct payments
  
  • pay land managers for public good including:
  • biodiveristy, landscapes, clean air and water, soils
  • other funding will be available to support productivity, animal health & wealfarre, business reslisence and specific aid for upland famringto allow farmers to adjust.
  • BPS area payments will tapper during this period. After 2024 payments would be for public good Larger payments will be capped (increasing in 2020)
• The Tenant Farmers Association and the Country Land and Business Association, have called for a delay to any changes in payment schemes until the “economic realities of operating outside the EU are clearer”.

Question 12

Greening - What are the crop diversification rules?

Answer 12

• 3 crops are required by farmers with more than 30ha
• 2 crops with farmers with 10ha to 30ha.
• No crop diversification requiremnet if less than 10ha

Question 13

Who is required to have EFAs in order to claim greening?

Answer 13

Farmers with 15ha or more, which have:

• less than 75% of arable land in tomopraru grass, fallow or legumes or
• less than 75% of eligable land in permanent and temporary grass

Question 14

Are presticides permitted on EFAs?

Answer 14

No

Question 15

What are the 5 options to satisfy the EFA target?

Answer 15

1. Fallow
2. Catch & cover crops
3. Buffer strip
4. Hedgerows or trees in a line
5. Nitrogen fixing crops

Question 16

What is meant by catch and cover crops?

Answer 16

• Catch crops are quick-growing crops that are planted between two regular cropsgrown in consecutive seasons or between two rows of regular crops in the same season.
• Cover crops are planted between main crops to prevent leaching or soil erosion, or to provide green manure

Question 17

Name the 3 basic types of land under greening?

Answer 17

1. Permanent grassland
2. Permanent crops
3. Arable land

Question 18

What counts as Permanent Grassland?

Answer 18

any land that has been grass for 5 years (out of the arable rotation)

Grass includes other ‘herbaceous forage’ (lucerne, sainfoin, clovers). Maize & Kale etc are arable

From 2018, fallow land is also counted as permanent grassland (only applies from 2018 onwards so cant apply till 2023)

Question 19

What is meant by Permanent Crops?

Answer 19

Any land in crops for 5 years or more, without replanting and yields repeated harvests. (eg miscanthus, short rotation coppice, nurseries, vines & orchards)

Question 20

What is meant by Arable land?

Answer 20

Any eligable land that is not permenant grassland or permenant crops. It includes fallow and temporary grass (incl herbaceous forage) as well as crops

Question 21

Does greening apply for organic land?

Answer 21

No

Question 22

How much or your land has to be in EFAs?

Answer 22

5% of the holdings Arable land

Question 23

Can land under agri-enviro schemes count towards greening?

Answer 23

Yes, although EU double funding ruels mean that some agricironement payments will be reduced were there is an overlap.

Question 24

Crop diversification.

If required to grow 3 crops, how much of your arable land can your main crops and combined, two main crops cover?

Answer 24

If you need to grow at least 3 crops, your main crop cannot cover more than 75% of your arable land and your 2 main crops must not cover more than 95%.

Question 25

Crop diversification. If required to grow 2 crops, how much of your arable land can your main crops cover?

Answer 25

If you need to grow at least 2 crops, your main crop cannot cover more than 75% of your arable land

Question 26

EFAs, what are features worth?

Answer 26

Nitrogen-fixing crops - total size (sqm) x 1

EFA fallow land - total size (sqm) x 1

Buffer strips or field margins - total length x 9

Hedges or trees in a line in an arable land parcel - total length x 5

Adjacent hedges or trees in a line - total length x 5

Catch crops - total size (sqm) x 0.3

Cover crops - total size (sqm) x 0.3

Question 27

Under BPS, what additional income will a young farmer recieve?

Answer 27

Those eligible to participate in the YFS will receive an additional payment that is broadly equivalent to 25% of the value of payments under the basic payments scheme for each of the first five years of the operation of their business

Question 28

What is the elegibility criteria to qualify as a young farmer?

Answer 28

To be eligible for the additional payment under the Young Farmers Scheme a participant must meet all of the following criteria:

• Is an natural person;
• Is not more than 40 years old in the year when the direct payment application is made;
• Set up as a farmer (i.e. as head of holding) within the previous five years.

Question 29

When is the BPS application window?

Answer 29

13th March - 15th May