NOTICE BOARD

Single Payment Scheme - ALLOCATION OF NEW ENTITLEMENTS

Farmers who have land in the following crops will be eligible to claim SPS from 2009 onwards and will be able to apply for additional entitlements for the 2010 year.

For further information call a member of the CLM team or see the RPA website.
 

Natural England currently have a significant amount of cash to spend on new Higher Level Stewardship agreements and on adding new capital works such as fencing to existing Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Area agreements. 
 

Keith Datchler, of Beech Estate, near Battle, East Sussex, beat 15 other regional finalists to take the national title in the first year of Natural England’s award scheme. CLM successfully applied for a Higher level stewardship agreement on behalf of Keith and the Beech Estate in 2006.

Keith succeeded in impressing a panel of judges selected from Natural England, the National Farmers' Union and the Country Land & Business Association based in the South East.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said: “Keith's inspirational approach to transforming the Beech Estate from an intensive arable and dairy farm into a haven for wildlife makes him a clear winner. His lasting legacy is that a growing number of farmers are adopting his techniques to conserve the ancient unspoilt landscape of the High Weald.

A delighted Mr Datchler said: “I think it was Dickens that once said: “Live your life in case you die tomorrow ~ Farm your land in case you live for ever!” He was right.”

See the Natural England website for the full press release.

Keith is a trustee of the High Weald Landscape Trust which was founded in 2004 to address conservation issues across the High Weald.  Further information about the High Weald Landscape Trust can be found on their website. 
 

The Bluetongue Vaccine is now available within the control zone and farmers and vets alike have been administering doses in an effort to vaccinate as many susceptible animals as quickly as possible.  Sheep require one dose of the vaccine and should develop immunity within 3 weeks of the dose.  Cattle require two doses with a three week interval in between and then a further three weeks to develop full immunity.

The first case of bluetongue was detected on 22 September.  Since then Defra has confirmed that the disease is circulating between livestock and midge populations in East Anglia, the disease has since spread to other areas of south and south east England.

A Bluetongue Control Zone has been established around the areas where cases have been identified and a larger Bluetongue Protection Zone is in place where a secondary level of restrictions is in place. 

Bluetongue Control Zone and Protection Zone
A detailed map of the areas and further information can be found on the Defra website.
 

All restrictions relating to Foot and Mouth susceptible animals including export to the EU were lifted on the 31st December 2007. For information relating to the 2007 outbreak please visit the Defra website or telephone the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77.
 

It is important to bear in mind that this may not be the end of Set-aside as it is possible that it will be reintroduced in 2009, please see statement below.

"The proposal will concern only autumn 2007 and spring 2008 sowings. A decision on a permanent basis would require a global grain policy review and an analysis on how and by which means we can address the positive environmental side effects of set aside, which will be conducted during the CAP health-check review." EU press release)