Category: CLM News

On the eve of the Basic Payment Scheme the farming industry is under the cosh. They say everything goes in cycles; up, down, up and then down again.  If needed, the dictionary defines volatility as: liable to change rapidly and unpredictably. Especially for the worse!  

It might be tempting to think that the CLM article was transforming into a Laurie Lee book review column. What I am actually alluding to is that at some stage (not necessarily in mid-summer although it may be marginally more pleasant then), it’s always good to get out and about to make sure that things […]

Our language has become full of abbreviations; CAP, BPS, EA, ACCS, EFA, CTS, HMRC! Every industry has its own acronyms meaning little to outsiders. Imagine a city banker listening to a conversation between two farmers on a crisp winter’s morning somewhere on the South Downs: “Has your SFP arrived?”, “No, the flipping RPA say I […]

‘Why is it like that?’ asks Hamish (aged 6) on a regular basis throughout the day. He is normally covered in mud, thumb in mouth, inspecting the feed routine at the farm or some other activity. I am normally trying in vain to do something else and struggling to keep up with the machine gun […]

Attention has turned to the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS). With Expressions of Interest for the 2016 Higher Tier scheme already submitted attention has concentrated on 2016 Mid Tier applications which must be submitted by the 30th September. September 2015

This year saw the introduction of a range of new rural grants and subsidies after a series of delays.

I’d ban purdah because of the information vacuum that it causes, and the hearsay and disarray that takes the place of well consulted, communicated and structured schemes and policies.

ELS and OELS agreements that started on or after January 2012 started too late to receive the full protection of Jim Paice’s pledge…….