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That was the stark warning from Cross Compliance Solutions, Karen Powell at CropTec. "The Rural Payments Agency has reported that an incomplete Soil Protection Review (SPR) has been the most noted breach of Cross Compliance," she said.

"Incomplete records can lead to a 5% reduction in Single Farm Payments, and with the 31 December deadline for completion of SPR not far away, it is imperative that records are completed accurately."

Farmers are reminded that the purpose of the review is to tackle degradation threats to soil, preventing erosion, compaction and damage to landscape features to maintain soil structure and organic matter.

Speaking at the event, Karen noted that the SPR must be updated annually, and farmers must identify and record current and potential problems with soils and assess and record soil types and degradation risks.

"Having identified problem areas, it is then a requirement to select the most appropriate measures to prevent and/or remediate the issues, and to review the risks and reconsider annually."