Hedgerow regulations now law
In a post published last month, I said I’d let you know when Parliament passed the new hedgerow regulations. Today, I’m doing just that.
Farming and Countryside Programme
The Smaller Abattoir Fund: increase in intervention rate and grant amount
In December, we shared details of a new capital grant to support smaller abattoirs in England, offered through the Smaller Abattoir Fund . To recognise the cash flow challenges that many smaller abattoirs face, we’re increasing this support. We’ve raised the intervention rate from 40% to 50% and we’ve increased the maximum grant amount from £60,000 to £75,000.
Changes to permitted development rights
We want to make it easier for farmers to strengthen their businesses. To that end, several changes to permitted development rights are coming into effect from 21 May.
Apply now for a water screening study
From today, small groups of farmers in England can apply for a Local Resource Option (LRO) screening study. An LRO is a water resources scheme that improves the resilience or supply of water in a local area. LRO screening studies are one way farmers and growers can better understand their options to improve the supply or resilience of water. In this post, I’ll share the background, explain how the studies work and include links to learn more and apply.
Laying the hedgerow regulations
We are pleased to tell you that legislation to protect hedgerows has today been laid in both Houses of Parliament. If approved by Parliament, the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 will put baseline hedgerow management practices into law, providing a consistent approach across all people operating on agricultural land.
Water Restoration Fund: grants now available
Groups of farmers in England can now apply for a grant to improve freshwater habitats. Through the new Water Restoration Fund, local groups can apply for funding to bolster their capacity and capabilities for delivery of on-the-ground projects which improve the water environment. In this post, we'll explain how the fund works.
Blending private and public finance
We want farmers and land managers in England to confidently and securely access payments from both the public and private sector for the environmental benefits and food they produce. In this post, we'll give a summary of our work and the initiatives supporting our ambitions in this space.
Webinar follow up: the offer for arable and horticulture growers
Posted by:
Becky Briggs, Posted on:
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Categories:
Farming and Countryside Programme, Payments for equipment, technology and infrastructure, Sustainable Farming Incentive, Webinars
On Thursday 29 February, we held a webinar for arable and field horticulture growers in England. In this post, I’ll share the recording and summarise the themes that emerged in the questions and I’ll set out the best ways for you to get answers.
Watch: Velcourt 2024
Posted by:
The Team, Posted on:
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Categories:
Farming and Countryside Programme, Sustainable Farming Incentive
In this post, we share 3 videos from Velcourt 2024 featuring Farming and Countryside Programme Director Janet Hughes. The videos include an update on the agricultural transition, the latest on the farming offer in England and questions from the attendees.
Watch: webinar on the farming offer in 2024
Posted by:
Becky Briggs, Posted on:
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Categories:
environmental land management schemes, Farming and Countryside Programme, Sustainable Farming Incentive, Webinars
On Friday 26 January, we held a webinar for farmers. During the session, we went through the actions and payments available through our environmental land management schemes in 2024. This post includes a link to the recording.
