WHAT GREENING MEANS FOR YOU UNDER CAP REFORM? I
t appears that the new, watered down regulations are, as another commentator suggested, not that new and not that brave at all. There is a raft of exemptions and it is amusing to note that even the latest literature from DEFRA seems largely geared to helping farmers qualify for these.
For many dairy producers, greening may transpire to have little impact on the business. Nonetheless, it is essential that every farmer considers their unique position and implements greening measures accordingly. It has been confi rmed that failure to do this will result in a payment deduction in the fi rst year.
First, you must consider your land area and how it is made up. This will be most simple for those who claim for all the land they farm, but for those with multiple tenancies, or contract farming agreements and with others making claims, things will be more complicated. There could, however, be advantages to having smaller blocks of land.
The greening requirements are derived from the area of eligible arable land on each holding. The defi nition of arable land is such that it includes maize, cereals, oilseeds and root crops, such as stubble turnips. It also includes temporary grass (TG). The distinction between temporary and permanent grassland is not as simple as
looking on your previous claim form for the TG or PP (permanent pasture) codes. Any fi eld that has been in grass for fi ve years or more when the 2015 claim is submitted will be counted as permanent pasture and hence excluded from the arable area. Grass that has been re- established will be defi ned as permanent pasture unless there has been another crop on that ground in the last fi ve years. Once you have conquered the arable area minefi eld you will then be in a position to calculate how much greening you need to do. Any holding with more than 10ha of arable land will require at least two eligible crops. If there are more than 30ha of arable you will need at least three crops. You may also face the requirements of Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) if you have more than fi fteen hectares of arable land.
88 THE JOURNAL OCTOBER 2014
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