Farmers in England are set to benefit from the government plans to simplify the basic payment Scheme (BPS) and cut red tape.
The Government plan to reduce administrative burdens on farmers while transitioning to the new ELM Scheme
There will be no need for farmers to comply with the EU-delivered greening requirements during the agricultural transitioning period and farmers will have a reduced administrative burden.
The changes will not affect the overall payment received by each farmer as the money will instead be added to farmers’ entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme
The agricultural transition period will last for seven years and see direct payments to farmers in England phased out and replaced with a new system. The new system will reward farmers for delivering public goods, such as tree or hedge planting, river management to mitigate flooding, and creating or restoring habitats for wildlife. The new Environmental Land Management scheme, expected to be rolled out in late 2024, will introduce new ways of working together with farmers to deliver better environmental outcomes and reverse the decline of some of our most cherished species.
Farmers will be able to continue to apply for Countryside Stewardship schemes until the future scheme is rolled out.