Northern ireland BPS scheme future

greenrover1

Ni farmers, we seem to be at stand still with regards to news about how farms will be supported when the current basic payment scheme stops. We will likely have a combination of direct payments with environmental based grants/capital grants. The south are still sticking to the acreage payments while there are rumblings of headage payments with reference years for NI . I find this unlikely as overstocked farms arent particularly environmentally friendly. Farms seem to have upped herd numbers in anticipation of headage payments. All i know is direct payments will be less for more work :)

somofagun

Seen an article in last Thursdays farmers Journal where it showed that the farmer in the south gets approx £5000 more than a comparable famer in the north in subsidy payments

We are heading for a rough time here in the north, subsidies are being reduce and yet the input prices are going up and up.

somofagun

Not to many northern farmers on here by the looks of it....😕

funkey_monkey

There are a few, but in the minority!

Did you see the headline in the IFJ about the list prices in the latest tranche of the FBIS being nowhere near current list prices at the dealers. Only slat mats would interest me. Could do with swapping out for a larger stock trailer, but I think it's cheaper to buy s/c with a decent body and upgrade the running gear rather than new. Poots said there would be no recalculations.

I hadn't heard much about headage based payments - apart from the consultation that came out a while ago that also proposed raising claim size from 3ha to 10ha?

Has there been any word back on the DAERA consultation that beef cattle bought from ROI (not born in NI) would not be eligable for the headage payment. I don't think it applies to sucklers though?

However, from speaking to some folk it seems that this has gone back to the drawing board.

somofagun

I was thinking of the slat mats as well as I have just put up a new cattle house but it looks like a waste of time even applying for it now as it won't be anywhere near 40%.

funkey_monkey

I'm in a tricky spot as the tanks have a central mixing point and I don't know how compatible they are with mats as the tractor would be sorting on them when mixing.

Where did you get your slats from? Last I got were Moores 7 rib. Not used them yet - was hoping to get mats on them first, but the grant isn't helping - plenty of other things looking money the at them.

somofagun

Got them from Barrett's as they were cheapest.

Just put them in this evening so the shed will never be clean again

funkey_monkey

@somofagun - that a fine looking shed and some nice shapely cattle too. Does that double up as a lie-back where the young fella is standing? Does your tank extend to under either of the slabs?

We're looking to get some of ours in hopefully tomorrow. There is nothing to gain trying to keep them out any longer.

somofagun

Thanks FM, I intend to put a crush out along that wall at some stage and have a bit of a lie back area.

The tank is only the width of the slats.

This is the existing cattle house and as you can see its a big upgrade for me.

I was debating on leaving them out for another while but the ground has become to soft now after the rain on Sunday

greenrover1

You won’t hear a dime about headage payments if they’re in the works. People can abuse it if they know. There was talk In the summer about rewarding productivity whatever that means. We need direct subsidy in some form, if it’s in exchange for environmental work or whatever. I run a suckler herd and without direct payments it’s just a total waste of time. Also I simply can’t stand sheep, even though profit margins seem to be higher!

somofagun

Lads the whole thing is a real **** show up here at the minute when you see all the schemes that are going on in the south, with fodder payments, BEEPS etc.

They know what's coming in terms of the CAP payments

Up here the farm modernisation scheme is a waste of time as you wont get planning if you want to put up a new cattle house because they can't sort out the ammonia issue. (I blame the chicken men)

Anything that you would want to buy on the Tier 1 has went up that much in price and they didn't bother to reflect this in the pricing structure that its just not worth the hassle.

We haven't a clue what the new payment structure is going to look like so how the hell can you plan for the future of you farm business with what is going on.

No other industry would be run the way it is here.

funkey_monkey

Wanted to get some stuff in the latest round of fbis but the grant didn't reflect the latest price of the items, surprised that Poots didn't reevaluate as he usually rows in behind the farmers.

When is the bps payment scheme being scrapped?

funkey_monkey

Lack of Ag minister up at Stormont has meant there cannot be an extension to the slurry period this year.

DUP usually do well with the Protestant farmers. They'll not be too happy with them now!

Awful weather at minute with hail showers and heavy rain. I'd say slurry spreading will go on into next week with farmers claiming special dispensation.

somofagun

The whole thing is a mess up here.

I see a bit more detail on the beef headage payment, the feedlot guys will do well out it.

funkey_monkey

@somofagun - where did you read about that? It'll be stuck in the weeds up at Stormont until they get back to work up there.

How did you find the first winter in the new shed? Was the ventilated tin on the sides sufficient for airflow? Just something I've noticed in our own shed - the bottom of the steels - you should paint them now with some sort of tar paint or similar to prevent the slurry from corroding them away to nothing. Red Oxide is no match for it.

Re-jigging stock number here so that we can finish (or get as close to finishing as we can) some bull beef or older bullocks. The will need to get some slat mats in for them so considering going for the grant, if we do take the plunge.

There seems to be some noise about the DUP maybe heading back into Stormont in the not too distant future. Maybe things will start moving again then if we can get the minister back in his seat. What's everyones opinion on Poots as Ag Minister? I don't agree with pretty much all of his general politics, but he is from a farming background so does seem to be a reasonable fit for the role, although I was disappointed that he didn't reconsider the prices associated with the last FBIS tranche - I wasn't in for anything, so didn't really affect me. Haven't heard much now about the headage so no idea what is happening with that.

somofagun

It was in the farmers Journal last week.

Had 40 cattle in it over the winter and was alot less work in them with not having to bed them with straw. I would admit my ventilation could be better as I didn't leave enough of a space at the ridge. I think the ventilated tin is a good job but I only have one side vented as I built of the side of silo so have no real cross ventilation.

In the process of buying at the minute and the amount of them with snot hangin out of the noses is mad, it does take them a week or 2 to get going on the slats and they don't look to clean which was a problem I never had in old building. Last years stock did but on good weight so cant really complain.

Poots made a hash of the last grant by not adjusting the rates and then you had the capital build grant which was useless as you couldn't get planning for any new cattle houses because they hadn't the ammonia issue sorted.

They (DUP) championed Brexit knowing full well that farming was going to get a hammering now that the money from Europe was going to have to be replaced by the British exchequer. They are cutting 8% off next years payment which is going to sting and you are going to have to jump through alot more hoops for your payment. Cheers DUP

funkey_monkey

Did you get the notification through about the scheme to increase moss coverage? The more moss cover you have the greater the payment - £100/ac up to £300/ac.

Basically do some work to aid water retention on the land and then monitor moss coverage. Might appeal to some on poorer ground, but there is a caveat that you will have to reduce or stop farming that land.

Would not be of interest to me. I've blocked off all streams and rivers from stock. I've a bit of draining to do, so increasing water retention is the opposite of where I'm going.

somofagun

Yea got at the weekend there, I assume alot of the men that own bog will be getting a payment now on this. I heard at the weekend that farmers have been put off the land at Baronscourt estate up in Newtownstewart as one of the big supermarkets are going to use use it for carbon off setting. The the ole Duke will get his environmental payments and a nice fat cheque from whoever uses the land for carbon off setting. I noticed that on the Sheep game's last video he done on you tube that the same thing was happening over there in Scotland with the large estates. Farmer was selling all his sheep as he was being put of the ground unexpectedly. Is the way things are going.

funkey_monkey

How are things now @somofagun?

I think we might need to be prepared to get shafted by our new Ag Minister. I don't think he has even mentored farming in any of his proclamations so far.

So that will let you know where we stand on his radar. I think the Alliance are closely aligned to Green's on environment and agriculture.

Might get a grant out to put in some hedging. Have you any experience of that through any of the schemes such as the EFS? Last one I read wanted to take in 2m wide between fences. Thought it a bit much.

somofagun

Ploughing on FM, not enough hours in the day is the only problem. Wife giving out about never seeing me between day job, farming and late evening work.

When I seen who had taken the agricultural post a laughed because if you didn't laugh you would cry. Its going to be a **** show of epic proportions with this clown.

I applied for the previous grant but never went ahead with it but could really do with new hedges to cut down on the replacement of fencing in the long run.