Smiths Gore is delighted to announce the release of the CAP Calculator, an interactive, spreadsheet-based, free download; it has been designed to enable farmers to check their compliance with the proposed new greening requirements under the Common Agricultural Policy reforms.
 
From 1 January 2015, 30% of the new Basic Payment Scheme income will be linked to meeting the greening requirements, comprising crop diversification and ecological focus areas. Those with autumn cropping will need to check the rotation this summer.
 

The calculator enables farmers to enter their current cropping details to establish if it is compliant; the calculator also allows farmers to enter simulated scenarios to see what effects greening will have on their farm plans. Users will also be able to see the effect of ELS agreements and calculate how much potential is tied up in these existing agreements.
 
We recommend that every claimant of a subsidy should carry out a self-assessment. Small areas let on licences or farmed via contract agreements, either formally or informally, will be affected by the new rules. Livestock farmers growing areas of maize or whole crop are also likely to be affected.
 
Understanding the implications of the new greening requirements will help farm businesses plan ahead after considering all the options available to them.

The calculator can be downloaded from here.