Specific funding for the Uplands
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Rural Development ProgrammeHill Farm Allowance - Explanatory booklet Uplands ELS - FAQRural Development Programme for England (2007-2013)Rural Payments Agency-HFA |
The uplands are nationally and internationally important for biodiversity as well as being of significant landscape, archaeological, recreational, heritage, and natural resource value. They also play a key role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Agricultural activity has largely shaped the upland landscape that we value.
Without some form of management these areas could lose these valuable environmental and landscape values. Historically hill farmers have carried out management of these areas, predominantly through sheep and cattle grazing. In recognition of the important role that hill farmers play in maintaining the uplands, the Government provides specific funding to support upland farmers - currently the Hill Farm Allowance.
In spring 2006, Defra consulted on the direction of future upland support. The Government proposed moving away from the compensatory nature of the Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) and towards a more targeted scheme which rewards farmers for maintaining the upland landscape and environment.
Following the consultation, the former Environment Secretary David Miliband announced in a ministerial statement that the HFA will continue in 2007 and through to 2009 under the new Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), and that thereafter uplands support will be fully integrated into Environmental Stewardship. On 21 July 2008, Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State confirmed in a ministerial statement that this will be done through a new uplands strand of the Entry Level Environmental Stewardship scheme, which will replace the Hill Farm Allowance in 2010. See "Uplands ELS - from 2010" for further information.
The Hill Farm Allowance - from 2007 onwards
The Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) was rolled over under the new Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), which commenced in 2007. It will continue in 2008 and 2009, after which time it will be replaced by Uplands ELS. The aims of the HFA under the RDPE are to continue to:
- Recognise the difficulties that farmers face in these regions and the vital role they play in delivering the landscape and environmental benefits for England’s uplands.
- Help to preserve the farmed upland environment by ensuring that land in the Severely Disadvantaged Areas is managed in a sustainable way. Contribute to the maintenance of the social fabric in upland communities through support for continued agricultural land use.
Further information on the HFA for 2009 is available from the Rural Payments Agency. Information on the HFA 2008 and previous years is available on the Defra website.
HFA 2008 – Correction to stocking density calculation
A correction has been issued by the Rural Payments Agency to the stocking density calculation for the HFA 2008. The correction replaces Annex A of the HFA 2008 explanatory booklet, which provides an example calculation of how the stocking density calculation will be calculated for HFA 2008. Payments have already been made on the basis of this corrected calculation.
Further information can be obtained from the Rural Payments Agency’s Customer Service Centre.
Uplands ELS - from 2010
The Government has confirmed the replacement of the HFA with Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (Uplands ELS) in 2010. This will be a move away from the compensatory nature of HFA and to a system of rewarding upland farmers for the delivery of environmental and landscape benefits in the uplands.
Defra has developed proposals for Uplands ELS, working closely with Natural England and stakeholders – including through a hill farmers’ panel. These proposals will be further refined after consultation and testing over the summer. This includes an informal document [PDF] (107 KB) seeking views on aspects of the proposed design, a series of meetings with the hill farming community and testing of the proposals on a range of hill farms. Final decisions will be announced in Autumn 2009. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions webpage for further information relating to Uplands ELS.
The Policy context
In recent years there has been much debate about the role of traditional hill farmers, their contribution to the rural economy and the role they play in maintaining the landscape and biodiversity value of the English Uplands. Recent policy developments, evaluations and initiatives relevant to support for the LFAs include:
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Uplands Reward Structure consultation - consultation closed on 22 May 2006
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Economic Valuation of the Environmental Impacts in the Severely Disadvantaged Areas - report by Eftec January 2006
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Assessment of the impact of CAP reform and other key policies on upland farms and land use implications in SDAs and DAs in England - report by Cumulus December 2005
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The Economics of Extensive Livestock Grazing post CAP reform - report by ADAS 2005
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Social capital of traditional hill farming - Workshop report by the International Centre for the Uplands December 2005
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The Agri-Environment Review - February 2005
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An assessment of the impacts of hill farming in England on the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the uplands and more widely - report by IEEP, LUC and GHK February 2004
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The ERDP Mid Term Evaluation - Report by ADAS December 2003
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The Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy - agreed June 2003
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The Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food - December 2002
Page last modified:
11 August, 2008
Page published: 23 January 2007