The NFU has said more needs to be done with the Countryside Stewardship Scheme to make it appeal to farmers.

In the first year of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, uptake was way down compared to the previous scheme. Figures from January this year revealed that just 3,000 agreement offers had been made, though 11,000 ELS agreements expired in 2015.

Last month, Natural England launched its new stewardship scheme, and said some changes had been made, including a longer application window and a more concise manual accompanying the scheme. Agreements made under the scheme are arranged on a competitive basis, unlike the old Environmental Stewardship programme. Grants will only be offered to applicants who propose to make the best environmental improvements within their local area.

Even so, though the farming union has said changes to the scheme manual, target maps and options for livestock farmers are steps in the right direction, the NFU has insisted that applications to the scheme remain low, and that without interest from farmers the agri-environment programme will not work.

This week, the union repeated its demands for changes in the scheme.   

Vice President Guy Smith said, “This is quite simple, without the necessary uptake by farmers this new scheme will not work. Farmers will act as the jury as to whether this scheme is fit for purpose and, as yet, the jury’s still out.

“Last year we warned Natural England and DEFRA that the new Countryside Scheme lacked the necessary ‘farmer friendliness’ in both its design and its launch to make it attractive enough to farmers. The disappointing figure of 1735 successful applications proves we were correct.

“We have urged Natural England to make some changes to make it more attractive and it's good to see some of our suggestions, but not all, have been taken up. Whether this will be enough to attract enough farmers, remains to be seen. We will monitoring closely the development of the scheme in the coming year as we’re seeing tens of thousands of agri-environment agreements expire and we can’t let these farmer’s environmental efforts go unnoticed.”

Call for farmer support for voluntary campaign

On Wednesday, the NFU and Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said farmer support for the industry-led, voluntary Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) is now more vital than ever, as thousands of farmers have expiring agri-environment scheme agreements. 

The industry bodies said CFE has secured Defra funding until April 2017, in spite of the heavy budget cuts the department has suffered.  The NFU and CLA, headline partners of CFE, are encouraging farmers to make the best use of CFE support and resources. There are 96 CFE-led events planned for 2016 and work continues on the discounted pollen and nectar mix seedbank, online training and advice on biodiversity, resource protection, soil nutrition and exiting agri-environment schemes.

CFE was set up by industry in 2009, in order to avoid compulsory set-aside measures by promoting best practice through voluntary agri-environment work.  

CLA Deputy President Tim Breitmeyer said: “We are at a time of significant change in terms of environmental schemes, and particularly with fewer agreements under the new Countryside Stewardship scheme. It is important to bridge the gap between the environmental compliance requirements under CAP and stewardship-level environmental work – there is evidence to suggest this has produced tangible environmental benefit in the recent past. We are encouraging our members to make the most of the support and resources on offer through CFE to take advice on best practice and continue investment in voluntary environmental measures, which also support farm productivity.”

On Wednesday, Guy Thompson, Natural England’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “Through Countryside Stewardship, farmers and land managers have an important role to play in protecting and improving England’s diverse landscapes and the wildlife that inhabit them.
 
“We’ve taken on board the lessons learned from last year and the feedback we’ve received along the way from farmer and a range of stakeholders, and have made a number of improvements to Countryside Stewardship this year. Applicants will now have more time to develop their agreements and new and improved guidance material to help them. This guidance has been produced in consultation with industry so it is clearer and better meets farmers’ needs.”

Natural England said it has been updating the scheme, after consulting with farmers’ groups and environmental organisations. A spokesperson told Farming Online that more local events planned, with one-on-one clinics provided for those who want help with their mid-tier application. The Rural Payments Agency is also providing an online tracker which will help farmers with their applications, and the spokesperson said there have been changes to make the Mid Tier agreement more accessible to upland farmers.