Defra has released new guidance outlining which farmers will be affected by 'double funding' rules, when greening reforms come into effect next year.

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During the negotiations over Common Agricultural Policy reform last year, politicians and campaigners were highly critical of the potential for new rules to lead to 'double funding', where farmers would be paid for work carried out under agri-environment schemes, whilst also receiving funding for doing the same work in order to meet greening commitments needed to qualify for full direct payment entitlements.

The new Defra guidance suggests that payments will only be adjusted for ten percent of farmers signed up to Entry Level Stweardship (ELS) agreements and will not affect anyone whose land is under Higher Level Stewardship.

Defra ministers pledged that farmers signing up to long-term agri-environment agreements before 1^st January 2012 would not be affected by double funding payment reductions, but the updated guidance on Wednesday warned that 4,000 people who signed up to ELS schemes after this date could face cuts where options overlap.

Natural England will contact all agreement-holders who are at risk of losing double-funded payments this autumn. Farmers will then have until 15^th November to decide whether to switch to new options, accept payment cuts or quite the ELS scheme.

Defra's updated Q&A document can be accessed here