The last few years have been a little uncomfortable for the Scottish farming community as we watched our neighbours over the border start to navigate their way through opportunities and obstacles in relation to the future of farm support. This discomfort was made more acute by constant exhortations to land owners and managers to ‘get ready’ and to ‘make preparations;’ without any clear guidance as to what this might involve! Well, this is your ‘tap on the shoulder!’ There is ten months to go until the 15th May 2025, which is the first milestone in the agricultural reform route map, so if you haven’t already given this your attention, then it is time for action.
Whole Farm Plan
Eligibility to receive BPS will depend going forward on enhanced conditionality, meaning that although 2025 does not herald a radical change in the schemes under which agricultural subsidy is claimed, or the amounts available, farmers and crofters will have to come to terms with the concept of enhanced conditionality, and make a start with compiling Whole Farm Plans, which comprise relevant plans and audits by the 15th May 2025.
The options available are summarised below.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
IPM helps you to investigate ways in which you can minimise your use of pesticides without jeopardising production. This plan is relevant to those who are arable or horticultural farmers, and also to those whose main crop is grass. In an ideal world the reduction of pesticide application should not only be good for the environment, but also for the bottom line, and should ensure that your business is on the right track to meet the market demand for more sustainable and environmental practice in food production. The link to an IPM assessment plan is below.
Scottish IPM Assessment Plan | Plant Health Centre
Animal Health and Welfare Plan
The aim of this plan is to assist with enhancing livestock health, welfare and performance. The majority of information required by the plan (provided in the link below or available on the QMS website) will already be in the farm office, and so while you may feel as though it is duplication of work, the gathering of the information into one place should aid analysis.
qms_cattle_and_sheep_ahwp_2022_v6.pdf
Biodiversity Audit
The increased focus on biodiversity within enhanced conditionality will require many land managers to ‘upskill’ in measuring and monitoring biodiversity on their land. The completion of a habitat map of your farm should inform make management decisions relating to the protection and development of biodiversity.
Carbon Audit
There will not be many farms where a carbon audit is yet to be carried out, and as such, this option needs little introduction. However, it is worth saying that the outcomes provided by any carbon calculator will only be as accurate or informative as the data entered, and so if you are looking to form a baseline, try to be as accurate as you can. FAS are still offering £500 of funding per audit to assist with getting this done.
Soil analysis
This option is perhaps the most relatable, as there will not be many land managers out there who do not already carry out an annual programme of soil sampling. Take this opportunity while there is funding available to get your region 1 land analysed, and this should assist with budgeting and also nutrient management going forward.
So, with under a year to go, and the summer marching past, give a thought to what options you might undertake to comprise your Whole Farm Plan. If you require assistance with this, or would just like to discuss how to make a start or compile the information, please do give us a call.