Defra announce plans to replace current hill farm allowance scheme
Defra has unveiled how it plans to replace the current Hill Farm Allowance scheme.
From 2010, specific support to upland areas will be integrated into Environmental Stewardship schemes, to reward hill farmers for the environmental and landscape benefits they deliver. Uplands Entry Level Stewardship will be implemented by Natural England. Uplands ELS will be open to all upland farmers and land managers.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said,
"We want the new strand of Environmental Stewardship to maintain and improve the biodiversity, natural resources, landscape and historical values of England's uplands, and contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. That is why we will be providing support to the farmers and land managers who deliver these benefits.
"Large numbers of upland farmers and land managers are already delivering simple yet effective environmental management in the uplands. Uplands ELS will allow us to recognise this explicitly, and encourage others to take up the opportunity to play their part."
Uplands ELS will be available to all agricultural land in England's "severely disadvantaged areas". As a strand of ELS, farmers will obtain points counting towards their payment rate by meeting a series of essential requirements, and through selecting from a menu of land management options. One of the key requirements will be to maintain a minimum level of stock on moorland, in recognition of the importance of grazing on this land for the environment and landscape. There will also be specific requirements and guidance for commons, reflecting the benefits associated with the shared management of common land.
The proposals for Uplands ELS are still to be finalised, and will be further refined over the summer. Defra will be testing the proposals on a range of 60 farms across the English upland areas over the coming weeks to ensure it is practical for the farmers involved and achieves its objectives.
Final proposals will be announced later this year.