In May Defra announced new steps to support farmers with cost pressures caused by demand and instability seen across the globe. As an advance injection of cash, farmers with eligible BPS applications will receive their first payment of 50% from the end of July, and the second from December. Under these plans, direct payments in England will be paid in two instalments each year for the remainder of the agricultural transition period.
Not only will bringing forward half of this year’s BPS payment be a welcome boost to farmers, but it is also a permanent change that will bring direct payments in line with what will be a more regular payment system under the new environmental land management schemes. Although it won’t affect farm profitability, it is hoped that it will help farmers make business decisions with more confidence.
Defra see this change to BPS payments as an example of them responding to farmer feedback, as they have been told that more frequent payments help farmers manage their accounts. Defra have also committed to quarterly payments as they roll out the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
This builds on a package of measures to support farmers announced in March, including: a delay to changes to the use of urea fertiliser by at least a year; revised and improved statutory guidance on the Farming Rules for Water; slurry investment grants to help meet those rules; and further details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive which will reward farmers for manufacturing more organic-based fertiliser products.
Find out more at https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2022/05/09/bringing-bps-payments-forward/
