Holly Hawker (Chippenham)
The RPA have announced new increased revenue payment rates for all new and existing countryside stewardship agreements from 1st January 2023. Options including Winter Bird Food plots, Legume and Herb Rich Swards and managing Permanent Grassland with Low Inputs have all increased, meaning annual claims from 2023 for all agreement holders will be greater than expected.
This change is accompanied with an assurance from the RPA that payment rates are to be routinely reviewed from 2024, as part of Agricultural Transition.
Not such good news are the proposed changes to Capital payment rates, which whilst is a warmly welcomed announcement, it transpires will apply only to new countryside stewardship agreements, and not to existing agreements (this is currently being petitioned by the NFU and other farming bodies so stay tuned for any update to this). As this change has been made as of 5th January 2023, any agreements that begin prior to this date (i.e., agreements that began on or before 1st January 2023) will be excluded from this revision. Many are disappointed that the RPA have taken this decision, as many existing and new agreement holders will be left with vast shortfalls in the amount of grant they are able to claim this year, and the amount that this work will in fact cost them.
Some of the most popular capital items to receive a price increase are:
| Previous rate | Rate as of 5th January 2023 Rate | |
| Hedgerow Laying | £9.40 | £13.52 |
| Planting New Hedges | £11.60 | £22.97 |
| Fencing | £4.00 | £6.34 |
| Sheep Net Fencing | £4.90 | £7.47 |
| Wooden Field Gates | £390 | £489.90 |
Also announced; any farmers entering the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Scheme will receive a £20 per hectare payment up to £1,000 to help cover administrative costs of establishing and managing schemes. It seems this has been brought in to encourage farmers to enter the new scheme, after concerns were raised over the potential need for professional involvement in designing and implementing the scheme.
For further advice on the above schemes, contact Holly at hollyhawker@fcgagric.com or your local FCG Office.