The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2014 - Issue 35 | Page 4

FARM NEWS Finally - DEFRA Confirms Greening Rules For New Basic Payment Scheme SIMON BRITTON, Partner at George F White and Head of gfw-Farm, explains the detail behind the new ‘Greening’ rules and Basic Payment Scheme. DEFRA has released further information on the implementation of the new Basic Payment Scheme and more importantly, the ‘greening’ rules. As we know, farmers will need to apply to the new Basic Payment Scheme in May 2015 in order to receive any further agricultural subsidy. Their current Single Payment Scheme entitlements will automatically roll over on 1 January 2015 and become Basic Payment Scheme entitlements. For farmers to receive their Basic Payment Scheme, they will need to satisfy a number of greening measures. These can be defined into three separate