Farm News
LAURA CHOSEN FOR SINGAPORE CONFERENCE
»»LAURA MITCHELL FROM
Mount Pleasant Farm, Berwick
upon Tweed has been awarded
a grant from the Border Union
Agricultural Society to attend
the 27th Commonwealth
Agriculture Conference in
Singapore organised by the
Royal Agricultural Society of the
Commonwealth (RASC).
Taking place from 2 - 4
November, Laura, 24 who
works as an Agricultural Officer
for the Rural Payments and
Inspections and on her family
farm will be amongst 400
delegates from 30 nations
who will join RASC President,
HRH The Princess Royal, to
discuss global issues such as
food security, sustainability and
bridging the rural-urban divide
in agriculture.
Commenting, Laura said: “I
am delighted to be awarded
a study grant from the Border
Union Agricultural Society to
attend the conference. I am
looking forward to networking
with like-minded people
who are also involved in the
agricultural industry. It is a
hugely exciting industry to be
involved in and I am hoping
that the conference will
broaden my knowledge of the
Industry at a wider level and
provide inspiration from other
commonwealth countries as to
how they are addressing the
“rural-urban divide”
The delegates will get an
opportunity to see tropical
agriculture in Singapore
and Johore, Malaysia and
learn about how Singapore’s
farms have innovated and
survived despite nearly full
urbanisation.
Michael Lambert, RASC’s
honorary secretary added:
“This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity to engage with
agricultural powerhouses from
ASEAN, Asia and Europe.
Food security is not just a
Commonwealth issue. As the
Commonwealth evolves, it will
embrace the contributions of
non-Commonwealth nations
in this very important area of
humanity - agriculture.”
FARMERS TO EXPECT HIGHER PAYMENT
FROM BASIC PAYMENT SCHEME 2016
»»TIM SEDGEWICK OF H&H LAND AND
Property explains why BPS payments
will be worth approximately 16.54% more
this year, after the fall in the value of the
pound.
“The official exchange rate used
to transfer payments from Euros to
Sterling will be €1 = £0.85228, as set
by the European Central Bank every 30
September. The European Central Bank’s
exchange rate is the most positive for
BPS payments since 2011 when €1 was
worth £0.86665. BPS payments last year
were based on an exchange rate of €1 =
£0.73129.
The value of the pound against the euro
has been falling since the end of last year
and plummeted after the UK’s vote to leave
the EU on 23 June.
“UK farmers being paid in Sterling
will collect approximately £208.44 per
ha of Non-SDA land claimed in 2016
contrasting to the £178.85 they received
6 Oct/Nov 2016 www.farmers-mart.co.uk
in 2015. For SDA entitlements farmers will
receive approximately £206.94 per ha in
2016 different to £177.56 in 2015, and for
Moorland entitlements farmers will receive
approximately £54.67 per ha in 2016 as
opposed to £46.91 in 2015.
“This will be welcome news for many
farmers awaiting the BPS 2016 support
payment later this year. Most found their
BPS payments in 2015 well down on what
they were expecting; partly down to the
lower exchange rate than 2014. There
were, however, a number of claimants who
had their payment affected by omissions
and errors by the Rural Payments Agency
(RPA). They struggled to grasp the new
system imposed on them by the EU and it
is vital that those mistakes aren’t repeated
this year.”
In context, Tim states that a farmer
claiming on Non-SDA entitlements who
received £20,000 in 2015, should receive
in the region of £23,308 for the same size
claim in 2016 when payments begin from
the 1stDecember. The RPA has set a target
to pay 90 percent of claimants before the
end of 2016.