Category: Farm Issues

Revised Environmental Land Management The environmental land management scheme for the 2014-2020 programme was intended to be more targeted and bring together a number of existing schemes into one scheme building on and enhancing the prior environmental stewardship and English Woodland grant scheme. The scheme offers a site-specific agreement similar to the former higher level […]

Overview The current CAP program period runs from 2014 to 2020, This is scheduled to be the last in which the United Kingdom participates.The aggregate value of the schemes for England are £15 billion. Most of the payment is through the Basic Payment Scheme including the Greening payment and Young Farmer payment which together replace […]

Income Taxes If an individual or company is resident in Ireland but undertakes a farming trade or business in the United Kingdom, there will be UK and Irish Taxation consequences.  Generally, credit will be given for tax paid in the country where the activity is undertaken against tax payable in the country of residence. A […]

(Pre-2014)  General The price support aspects of the CAP have been very substantially modified and reduced over the last 15 years.  The various direct payments have now been almost entirely capped and consolidated under the Single Farm Payment Scheme. On 1 January 2005, the Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS) took effect under the Common Agricultural […]

Cross Compliance 2014-20 Cross compliance applies to the basic payment scheme higher level stewardship countryside stewardship entry-level stewardship woodland management grant and farm woodland land premium elements of English woodland grant scheme Cross Compliance Requirements The cross compliance requirements  consist of “Statutory Management Requirements “SMR” and domestic English requirements requiring that land is kept in […]

(Pre-2014) Hill Farming Allowance The English uplands designated as “Less Favoured Areas” (LFAs) provide a range of important public benefits.  From 2010 onwards Less Favoured Area payments will be integrated into Environmental Stewardship. The Hill Farming Allowance provides dedicated support to extensive livestock famers in English LFAs. The English LFAs cover 180,000 hectares of agricultural […]

General There is a legal obligation to provide for the welfare of calves, pigs and laying hens kept for farming or breeding purposes. A person responsible for farmed animals must take reasonable steps to ensure their welfare. Exactly what is required will depend on the species and its needs, as well as on its age […]

General The Milk Quota System was introduced at European Union level in 1984 due to surplus milk production. The CAP Reform Agreement of 2003 has provided for the extension of the quota system to 2015. Each EU member state is allocated a national quota and each producer has an individual quota for use on his […]

Specified diseases in animals A farmer who suspects that any animal is infected with a specified disease must immediately notify a State Veterinary Service Divisional Veterinary Manager and not move anything from the premises that might spread disease.  Further compliance issues may arise. The specified diseases include: African horse sickness Brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis […]

Overview The Common Agricultural Policy is system of rules which works by maintaining agricultural product price levels within the EU and by subsidising production. There is common organisation of the market in many areas including cereals, beef, pig meat, eggs, poultry, fruit and vegetables, wine and milk. Export refunds reduce the price of EU goods […]

Employment Employees must be paid the agricultural minimum wage and employers must comply with rules relating to their terms and conditions. The minimum rate of pay will depend on the grade and type of employee, eg apprentice, trainee. Employees are categorised by their contract of employment, hours worked, qualifications, responsibilities and other factors. Employees may […]

The CAP There are import and export controls and duties designed to maintain the single market in various agricultural products under the Common Agricultural Policy. CAP  controls and duties apply when goods enter or leave the European Union. They do not generally apply to trade within the EU. CAP goods include food, agricultural and horticultural […]