Farmers are reminded that they must complete the Soil Protection Review 2010 by 31 December 2010 or risk losing out on support payments, including the Single Payment Scheme.

One in every fourteen farmers inspected so far this year had not completed the current version of the Soil Protection Review.  Most of these will lose five per cent of their payments. 

The Soil Protection Review (SPR 2010) should not be returned to the Rural Payments Agency or Defra, but should kept on the farm in case of inspection. It forms an essential part of the cross compliance requirements which mean farmers can qualify for their payments.

Russell Graham of RPA’s cross compliance unit said:

“There are three key threats to the agricultural and environmental productivity of our soils - erosion, organic matter decline and compaction. The Soil Protection Review is a single tool which helps farmers to mange their soil effectively.

“It can be quicker and easier to go online to fill out the review. The online version will also remember your data so you only need to amend your answers in future years.”

Farmers must take account of the Cross Compliance Guidance for Soil Management 2010 edition when completing the review.   Access to waterlogged land and any remedial action taken since 1 January 2010 should already have been recorded in the SPR 2010.

The online version of the form is available at www.wholefarm.defra.gov.uk. A spreadsheet version is available on the RPA website at www.rpa.gov.uk/crosscompliance/farmerguidance

For extra hard copies of the documents, contact the RPA’s Customer Service Centre on 0845 603 7777. The cross compliance technical helpline can answer any questions on the SPR 2010 – available on 0845 345 1302 or www.crosscompliance.org.uk