Set aside rate: initial results published
Defra has today announced the first results from monitoring the impact of 0 per cent set rate, with the amount of farm land left uncropped likely to fall by more than 50 per cent in 2008.
The results from Defra’s Farm Business Survey (FBS), are in line with the departments earlier analysis of the likely impact of the decision by the EU to set the set aside rate to 0 per cent this year.
Within the overall change, the non-rotational area (land left out of production for more than a single year) is expected to fall by 35 per cent, while the rotational area (land left out of production for one year only) is expected to fall by 85 per cent, reflecting the ease of bringing this land into cultivation. The area in margins and corners of fields is expected to fall by 13 per cent overall, with greater reductions on farms not in Environmental Stewardship.
These results are the first major piece of evidence on farmers’ planting decisions and intentions for 2008 and beyond, and come from an extension to the long-running survey.
Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn said:
“This first piece of evidence from the Defra’s Agriculture Change and Environment Observatory (ACEO) will help in assessing the scale and nature of the likely environmental impacts of the move away from set aside in England.
“I look forward to further evidence coming from the programme to provide a firm basis for informing any future action”.
Further information
- News release
- The full report can be found at http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/ace/index.htm
Page published: 30 January 2008