Agri Facts 9th April

Single Payment Scheme
Dual use and Common land claim letters have been released to those affected in 2011. Producers are advised to seek professional advice where necessary to help avoid penalties on the 2012 claim.

If new arrangements need to be put in place where a case of dual use has been identified then these must be organised, or at the very least clearly started, before the 15^th of May 2012 in order not to potentially affect the 2012 Single Farm Payment claim.

UTP Payments
Beef and sheep farmers working some of the most difficult terrain in England are receiving Uplands Transitional Payments (UTP) ranging from just over £7 to nearly £41 per hectare depending on the type and size of their land.

Figures published on Friday 16^th March for 2012 show that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has paid out £4m since payments started on the 28^th February, with more than 1,240 uplands farmers receiving full payments. This represents just over 72% of eligible claimants paid in the first two weeks.

The payment rates for UTP 2012 have been set as follows:

The Uplands Transitional Payment 2012 to 2014 booklet is available on the RPA website.
The UTP 2013 claim can be made on the SPS 2012 application using the SPS Online service, which is now available on the Business Link website via www.businesslink.gov.uk/sps-claim (select ‘Log in to RPA Online’. or, for farmers who have not used the service, ‘Go to RPA Online to register’.)

Schmallenberg virus: further update on GB testing results

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection has been identified on 239 farms. Twenty five of the positive cases have been diagnosed in cattle, 214 in sheep, and none to date in other species such as goats, camelids or deer. Currently, SBV infection has only been identified in areas predicted to be at risk of midge incursion from Northern Europe during summer / autumn 2011. We cannot rule out the possibility that domestic (local) midges may have transmitted SBV within the affected areas. Domestic midges may have been infected after biting a local animal infected last summer after incursion of continental midges.

Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme
Around one thousand rural farms and businesses will soon turn business plans into reality as the first grants from the new £20 million Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme are approved by Defra, Farming Minister, Jim Paice announced on the 4^th of April.

Farmers, foresters and horticulturalists will receive grants of up to £25,000 to invest in green projects and new machinery so their businesses can grow in a more sustainable way.

The next grant application window is expected to open in early May 2012.

National Planning Policy Framework for England
Government has published the National Planning Policy Framework for England, which can be downloaded from the Department of Communities and Local Government website

Markets | NATIONAL AVERAGES:
Fat Cattle                                £1.92- £1.94/kg LW                Same p/kg LW on the week
Fat Lamb                                 £2.09/kg LW                            Down 5p/kg LW on the week
Feed Wheat                            £166/Tonne                             Down £2/Tonne on the week
Feed Barley                            £159/Tonne                            Up £1/Tonne on the week
OSR                                        £384/Tonne                             Up £5/Tonne on the week
November Wheat Futures      £157.05/Tonne                        Down approx £4.00/Tonne on the week

Currency:   1 Euro = 0.82416 British pounds, a slight decrease on the previous week