Rebuilding 
Rural Britain

Sarah Sleet
Director
Countryside Agency

Dr A Brown
Director Operations
English Nature

Barbara Young
Chief Executive
Environment Agency

TO:

M.A.F.F.,
Nobel House,
17 Smith Square,
London,
SW1P 3JR

18 April 2001

Ref: AB/04/69

F.O.A.: 		Ms. Kate Timms

Short term measures to help the farming community

English Nature, Countryside Agency and the Environment Agency have considered what short term measures might be put in place to assist the farming community. We have aimed to identify measures that are consistent with our longer-term objectives for the future of agriculture.

The critical premise for these measures is that the previous status quo should not be re-established, current policies have not served farmers, rural communities, the environment or consumers well. Greater support for the provision of environmental and social public goods should be at the heart of any future direction for agriculture.

We have identified measures that we believe will promote positive outcomes from the crisis and provide legitimate routes to provide meaningful support to farmers.

These ideas are very rough and ready and aimed at assisting the Government in putting together a FMD recovery plan. It is appreciated that MAFF will have been developing its own ideas and will, no doubt, have received many suggestions from other sources. Our ideas should be put alongside the medium to long term measures being considered for farming and the measures that are being considered to help the wider rural economy and communities.

We appreciate that MAFF are under severe pressure and therefore we have suggested where other Agencies or organisations may be able to assist. We have put in some ball park suggestions for the sorts of resources that may be required. We would be happy to work up such figures to provide a clearer picture of what could be delivered for money suggested.

We would suggest that there should be a clear rationale for targeting such measures at those areas hardest hit.

The ideas are:

1	There is a need to stimulate and support production of good quality new Countryside Stewardship applications to ensure that all the available money is spent. The Agencies could have a role in generating good quality applications using our knowledge and information. The approach taken in Wales to help ease the application and running of their agri-environment scheme should be adopted. The key elements are not require initial site visits, put back or abandon the 31 May 2001 application deadline and introduce up front payments No new money required.

2. 	10(?) new co-ordination initiatives in hard pressed FMD areas, using models such as the MAFF Bowland and Bodmin initiatives, Cumbria Farm link and National Park authority co-ordinated schemes. If it proves not to be technically feasible to fund these initiatives through the ERDP, ( we understand MAFF have been exploring the scope for this), these would need to separately funded . These initiatives would:

a. increase co-ordination and integration of existing funding and advisory initiatives (e.g. including ERDP schemes, RDA funds, Structural Funds in relevant areas, and new schemes advisory initiatives suggested below and the free Action Plan for Farming planning advice on diversification etc); and, facilitate and provide follow-up support and guidance to applications.

b. this would make it much easier for farmers (and other rural applicants) to find their way through the maze of funds and application processes. Increase co-ordination and facilitation of ERDP scheme applications. The present processes are daunting for hard-pressed farmers.

3.	Support farmers in the production of whole farm plans covering business development, diversification, environmental protection and conservation needs. A link between Farm Business Advice Service and FWAG or possibly ADAS would be necessary. A targeted scheme at??5 million in 2001/02 and??5 million in 2002/03.

4.	Meet the full costs (i.e. top up the 75% supported under the ERDP to 100%) of farmers undertaking training linked to business development, diversification and environmental management, including IT training and remove the minimum ERDP threshold of 10 days training. Fund the development of a new network of innovative/demonstration farms (e.g. those that have successfully diversified and which apply sound environmental management) and promote a scheme to encourage individual farmers and groups of farmers to undertake training visits /exchange visits etc as well as other training. Broker with LANTRA. 1 million in 2001/2

5.	Re-introduce the Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme (state aided, time limited, targeted and 100% grant aided) to fund capital works aimed at repairing and improving the environment, such as hedging and walling, outside CS agreements. Farmers' time could be paid for and the scheme would help contractors and the wider rural economy, say ?10 million in 2001/02 and 10 million in 2002/03. See also 6.

6.	A capital investment programme (capital costs and labour element) for work to repair or improve unsatisfactory waste management systems, including silage storage capacity and slurry and manure storage. This could be part of the new grant scheme suggested in 5. The Environment Agency could run such a scheme. Say ?10 million in 2001/02 and ?10 million in 2002/03.

7.	Increase the budget for the Organic Farming Scheme (state aided, time limited and targeted). The current budget is all but allocated. 10 million in 2001/02 and ?10 million in 2002/03.

8.	Increase the moorland payment under the Hill Farming Allowance by ?5 per hectare. This is a recommendation of the Hills Task Force. This would need to be reviewed as part of a wide restructuring of the HFA payments to reflect environmental hardship.

9.	Introduce arable "patches" into intensive livestock areas in the interests of recovery of farmland birds. A targeted scheme costing less than? 5 million which would help meet our biodiversity targets as well as providing a new income stream to livestock farmers. This could be administered by RSPB.

10.	River/riparian restoration programme - this would be complementary to Countryside Stewardship this could be administered by EA. 5m over two years

A more general suggestion would be for MAFF to consider contracting farmers to help administer movement licences. This would help reduce the enormous task MAFF have in processing the licences.

A more general suggestion would be for MAFF to consider contracting farmers to help administer movement licences. This would help reduce the enormous task MAFF have in processing the licences.

I am copying this letter to David North and Brian Harding at MAFF, Sophia Lambert, DETR and Richard Brown, HMT

Yours sincerely

Barbara Young
Chief Executive
Environment Agency

Dr A Brown
Director Operations
English Nature

Sarah Sleet
Director
Countryside Agency

cc - Country Landowners Association
National Farmers Union.

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