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After last years less than satisfactory Basic Payment Scheme application process, will applicants this year get a better deal? Read the attached PDF to see our article in the South East Farmer

That time of year is fast approaching when our minds start to turn to the daunting prospect of filling in this year’s BPS forms, although the substantial numbers of you out there who have yet to receive last year’s payment may be forgiven for having more pressing concerns. The conspicuous silence of the RPA on […]

This Christmas the bearded old fellow in the red overcoat was under pressure.  Already burdened by the task of delivering Millennium Falcons and Chewbacca costumes to thousands of Star Wars fans, he could not ignore a troubled force from an unusual source! In previous years farmers were delighted if the single farm payment (SFP) cheque […]

When looking at accounts, we split subsidy payments away from the enterprise, giving a true and clear picture of performance – clarity within the business. We often muse (and have done on these pages) about the effect of a reduction or subsidy change.  In 2017 there will be the single largest economic event to affect […]

LEADER funding now open, Basic Payment Scheme update, NVZ compliance, the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme, RPA inspections, Energy Barns and reserve power…. open PDF for more information.

Farming Minister George Eustice MP finally decided to launch the LEADER programme on 14 October. Perhaps he thought doing do so would act as counter point to the release of the results of the June survey of agriculture the next day, since as announcements go, it was a bit of a damp squib.  

The rugby world cup is a perfect distraction from farming. In the coming weeks there is something else to talk about other than the miserable price of wheat.  Whoever you support we are guaranteed fantastic competition between the best rugby sides in the world, let’s hope England recover from the Welsh fiasco and overcome the […]

CLM towers are usually home to a happy band of positive thinkers but we see clouds on the horizon. It could simply be the effects of too much Christmas cheer but it looks pretty gloomy from here. There are dangers in making January predictions but a number of indicators are pointing firmly in the direction […]

If the weather has improved some will already have started spr ing dr i l l ing. Or am I thinking of a time when we had dry months! It won’t be long before we start to explore crops that grow in permanently saturated soil. Rice perhaps!  

Despite share price controversy the recent sale of the Post Office achieved the desired outcome. You can be sure that government officials patted each other on the back for a job well done.  First Class! However, just along the corridor the team responsible for the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme may not be feeling […]

Going beyond farming to support business…. A special report on CLM prepared by South East Farmer

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.

So what is “Beta Testing”; what is a “soft launch”; are these just euphemisms for poorly thought through policies, excuses for incomplete products?

My sleep deprived thoughts over the last two weeks have found me drawing rather bizarre parallels between my situation as a new father and that of the RPA as it struggles to launch the Basic Payment Scheme.

In a few days we will know who is going to govern the country for the next five years.