Agri-environment payments widen producers” options
By Jessica Buss and Chrissie Lawrence
NOW FARMING to suit subsidy payments is over, it is likely there will be a shift in how livestock are managed and in some areas land abandonment could be a real issue.
There will be an increasing spread between producers becoming more agri-environment driven and those producing commodities, David Oglethorpe of English Farming and Food Partnership told delegates.
“Agri-environment payments should now be considered as legitimate farming output, as with any other enterprise.”
It is likely those chasing agri- environment payments will take the easycare option, using hardy, low input breeds with low productivity, he added.
“Extensification of upland systems would reduce organic fertilisers, stocking densities and poaching implications, and improve water quality and grassland biodiversity.
“Those with a commodity focus will become market managers, producing a high quality carcass and reducing costs where possible. Lowland areas will become more intensively farmed with increases in fertiliser, slurry, ammonia emissions and water pollution.”
But all producers will need to focus on collaboration to lower input costs, increase product quality and become more market driven.
Dr Oglethorpe also predicts a long-term decline of 10% of UK beef and sheep producers and was concerned about land abandonment in areas such as the Scottish Highlands.
Tony Waterhouse of SAC Kirkton said land abandonment is already occurring on farms or parts of farms because of the changing economics of sheep farming.
Land abandonment could cause problems with scrub developing which could reduce its potential for tourism and deer populations could become an issue. “They can fill a vacuum left by sheep, but become pests – causing traffic accidents and eating native woodlands.
“We need to create a system that offers biodiversity and economic livestock production. One or the other will not be an option – we need to maximise potential from both.”
Agri-environment schemes will pay producers to move sheep off some land in winter or reduce stocking rates and this had proven it could improve productivity on acid grassland, without damaging the ecosystem.
Dr Waterhouse”s research has proved such ecosystems to be quite robust, providing stocking is not at an extremely high or extremely low rate.