The NFU has put together a series of briefings with the information you need to know about CAP - the CAP Essentials.
1. Checking eligibility for BPS
The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) replaced the Single Payment Scheme from 1 January 2015. BPS contains new greening requirements which will account for 30 per cent of the total payment.
2 Greening: Crop diversification
Crops diversification is part of the mandatory BPS greening requirements. Farmers may be required to grow a minimum number of different crops on their arable land annually.
3 Greening: Ecological Focus Areas
The Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) requirement is one of the three greening measures. The EFA requirement can be met by five main options; cover or catch crops, nitrogen fixing crops, fallow, buffer strips or some landscape features.
4 Greening: Understanding the Penalties
Greening is not optional and failure to comply with the new greening requirements will result in the loss of part or all of the greening payment. From 2017 an additional penalty will be introduced.
5 Implications for current agri-environment schemes
The greening requirements (specifically EFAs) may overlap with agri-environment schemes and land usage. If the same feature was being rewarded under BPS and agri-environments schemes it would be interpreted as ‘double funding’ and some schemes may have been adjusted to avoid this.
6 Young Farmers’ Scheme
The Young Farmers’ Scheme provides a ‘top-up’ to BPS. It is equivalent to approximately 25 per cent of the value of BPS, excluding the greening payment.
7 Cross compliance
There have been changes to cross compliance under BPS due to the legislative framework being different to that under SPS.
8 Greening: Permanent grassland
Permanent grassland is one of the three greening rules. The area of permanent grassland (when compared to the agricultural area) in England must not fall by more than 5 per cent.
9 Entitlements/National Reserve
Like SPS, for BPS you need entitlements to be able to claim payment. SPS entitlements rolled over and become BPS entitlements on 1 January 2015. There are some changes to how entitlements work.
10 Countryside Stewardship
Countryside Stewardship is a new scheme which will be the next generation agri-environment scheme. The first agreements will start on 1 January 2016.
11 Rural Payments
Rural Payments is the online application and payment service for the new CAP, including BPS. Claimants have been registering on the new system since November.
12 Active Farmer
This is a list of negative activities which would mean a farmer would not be eligible for BPS. However there is a readmission process for farmers who are operators of such activities that could allow some to continue to be eligible.
