Farmers urged - don't lose money - check you are compliant

With most farmers breathing a sigh of relief that their 2008 SPS claim forms have been submitted, they now need to ensure that no deductions will be made from their payment due to cross compliance breaches.  To help farmers check they are compliant, FWAG is offering a health check. "This is a simple procedure which covers the full list of SMRs and GAECs, "said Karen Stanley, Adviser with FWAG in Yorkshire, "it involves the farmer sitting down with one of our advisers and going through a check list of all the cross compliance issues that might form part of an inspection.  At the end of the check, the farmer is given a list of the areas where he is not compliant and recommendations to remedy the situation. He will also be given a folder with all the necessary documentation ready for any inspection."   The FWAG health check takes about a couple of hours, depending on the size and the complexity of the farming business but it could mean time well spent if a farmer receives a visit from an inspector said Karen.

Amongst the failures in 2007, were cattle movement and ID where around 1200 failures were found, which resulted in just over 500 farmers having 1% of their payment deducted and a further 300 having 3% deducted. Other failures included incorrect tagging of sheep, where 178 farmers were found to be in breach of the regulations. Not keeping records of medicines and deaths of animals was another significant failure. Farmers not completing their soil protection reviews resulted in 30 farmers losing 3% of their payment. Not taking reasonable steps to control invasive and injurious weeds was another area where farmers lost payment. One of the biggest failures was under GAEC 14, the protection of hedgerows and watercourses, where farmers had applied pesticide, fertiliser or cultivated in the 2-metre protection zone, resulting in up to 3% of payment being lost.

North Yorkshire FWAG Committee member, Mark Exelby who farms at Grewelthorpe, had a health check done by Karen. "Keeping up to date with current regulations is an important part of any farming business" he said. "The financial penalties for not doing so can be quite severe. Inspections from the paper police are intended to be spontaneous, with no advance warning. It is very comforting to know that you are up to speed, in control and relaxed about getting that knock on the door. It is a very worthwhile, cost effective exercise."

The FWAG Environmental Health Check also covers environmental schemes such as HLS and ELS, again ensuring that the farmer is compliant with the rules of the scheme.

The cost of the Environmental Health Check is based upon the complexity of the farming enterprise and the time taken.

For more information and a quote please contact FWAG on 01609 783632.