Welcome help for farmers to manage valued upland landcapes
18 December 2008
CPRE [1] today (Thursday) welcomed the Government’s announcement on a new green farming scheme for upland farmers.
Ian Woodhurst, CPRE’s Senior Farming Campaigner said:
‘The Government has listened carefully to a wide range of groups, all of whom are passionate about upland landscapes and farming. It is pleasing that hill farmers now have some certainty about how they will be rewarded for managing these beautiful landscapes. Farmers should be given all the advice and support they need to make this new scheme work.’
The new Uplands Entry Level Stewardship scheme [2] will replace the Hill Farm Allowance [3] which provided an important source of funding that many upland farmers have relied on to stay in business. Without this additional support many hill farmers would find it hard to continue the farming practices which have created and maintained the upland landscapes that are cherished by millions of people. Almost three quarters of the uplands are designated as landscapes of national importance [4].
Ian Woodhurst concluded:
‘This is a good start. But it is only a part of what is needed to ensure our uplands remain both beautiful and productive. CPRE will be seeking a more effective approach from Government to meeting the challenge of providing upland communities with a future which protects the quality of the environment that surrounds them.’
Jack Ellerby, Friends of the Lake District, CPRE’s representative in Cumbria, said:
‘The public goods we all desire from our uplands are dependant upon having a vibrant, land-based workforce. The resultant high quality landscapes are the essential ingredient underpinning sustainable rural economies. We have long campaigned to support our upland hill farms across Cumbria and we are pleased the Government has strengthened the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship scheme.’
Andy Tickle, CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire, said:
‘The new scheme is an important step but this is unfinished business. The upland landscapes of the Peak have a vital role to play in recreation, relaxation, wildlife conservation and mitigating climate change; to meet these needs we must reward farmers and land managers properly.’
– END –
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk
2. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced details of how the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (UELS) scheme will operate and confirmed that agreements will start in July 2010. UELS will replace the Hill Farm Allowance and the Government expects to spend £25 million per year on the new scheme. UELS will reward all upland farmers for the provision and maintenance of landscape and environmental benefits. It will be an additional and supplementary strand to the Environmental Stewardship Entry Level Scheme (ELS). It will be open to all upland farmers and land managers in England’s ‘severely disadvantaged areas’ (providing they meet the scheme rules). A higher payment rate will recognise the additional costs of farming in the uplands. To enter the scheme farmers will need to obtain points by meeting a series of requirements and through selecting from a menu of land management options.
3. The Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) provides dedicated support to beef and sheep producers who farm land in England’s Severely Disadvantaged Areas (SDA). The Less Favoured Areas are made up of Severely Disadvantaged Areas and Disadvantaged Areas. LFA’s are areas where characteristics such as geology, altitude and climate make it more difficult for farmers to compete. The HFA is paid in recognition of the difficulties that farmers face in these regions and the vital role that they play in delivering the landscape and environmental benefits of England’s uplands. The HFA helps to preserve the farmed upland environment by ensuring that land in the SDA is managed in a sustainable way. It also aims to contribute to the maintenance of the social fabric in upland communities through support for continued agricultural land use.
4. Source: Natural England (2008)
Ian Woodhurst, CPRE’s Senior Farming Campaigner said:
‘The Government has listened carefully to a wide range of groups, all of whom are passionate about upland landscapes and farming. It is pleasing that hill farmers now have some certainty about how they will be rewarded for managing these beautiful landscapes. Farmers should be given all the advice and support they need to make this new scheme work.’
The new Uplands Entry Level Stewardship scheme [2] will replace the Hill Farm Allowance [3] which provided an important source of funding that many upland farmers have relied on to stay in business. Without this additional support many hill farmers would find it hard to continue the farming practices which have created and maintained the upland landscapes that are cherished by millions of people. Almost three quarters of the uplands are designated as landscapes of national importance [4].
Ian Woodhurst concluded:
‘This is a good start. But it is only a part of what is needed to ensure our uplands remain both beautiful and productive. CPRE will be seeking a more effective approach from Government to meeting the challenge of providing upland communities with a future which protects the quality of the environment that surrounds them.’
Jack Ellerby, Friends of the Lake District, CPRE’s representative in Cumbria, said:
‘The public goods we all desire from our uplands are dependant upon having a vibrant, land-based workforce. The resultant high quality landscapes are the essential ingredient underpinning sustainable rural economies. We have long campaigned to support our upland hill farms across Cumbria and we are pleased the Government has strengthened the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship scheme.’
Andy Tickle, CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire, said:
‘The new scheme is an important step but this is unfinished business. The upland landscapes of the Peak have a vital role to play in recreation, relaxation, wildlife conservation and mitigating climate change; to meet these needs we must reward farmers and land managers properly.’
– END –
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk
2. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced details of how the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (UELS) scheme will operate and confirmed that agreements will start in July 2010. UELS will replace the Hill Farm Allowance and the Government expects to spend £25 million per year on the new scheme. UELS will reward all upland farmers for the provision and maintenance of landscape and environmental benefits. It will be an additional and supplementary strand to the Environmental Stewardship Entry Level Scheme (ELS). It will be open to all upland farmers and land managers in England’s ‘severely disadvantaged areas’ (providing they meet the scheme rules). A higher payment rate will recognise the additional costs of farming in the uplands. To enter the scheme farmers will need to obtain points by meeting a series of requirements and through selecting from a menu of land management options.
3. The Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) provides dedicated support to beef and sheep producers who farm land in England’s Severely Disadvantaged Areas (SDA). The Less Favoured Areas are made up of Severely Disadvantaged Areas and Disadvantaged Areas. LFA’s are areas where characteristics such as geology, altitude and climate make it more difficult for farmers to compete. The HFA is paid in recognition of the difficulties that farmers face in these regions and the vital role that they play in delivering the landscape and environmental benefits of England’s uplands. The HFA helps to preserve the farmed upland environment by ensuring that land in the SDA is managed in a sustainable way. It also aims to contribute to the maintenance of the social fabric in upland communities through support for continued agricultural land use.
4. Source: Natural England (2008)
