Cereals 2014: Defra’s dilemma over spring and winter cropping

Questions remain over the finer details of CAP reform implementation – despite the emergence of further information at this year’s Cereals event.

Some 24,950 farmers, agronomists and other professionals caught up with the latest arable business advice and innovations during the two-day show, held at Chrishall Grange, near Duxford, Cambridgeshire, on 11-12 June.

Defra secretary Owen Paterson used the event to explain the reasoning behind new rules due to come into effect from 1 January 2015. Widely criticised by farm leaders and conservationists, the so-called “greening” requirements aim to make agriculture more environmentally friendly.

Larger arable growers claiming direct payments will be expected to ensure 5% of their land is managed as an ecological focus area. They must choose from five options to meet the 5% rule: fallow land, buffer strips, cover crops, nitrogen-fixing crops and hedgerow maintenance.

Growers must also ensure they meet crop diversification rules. Farmers with less than 10ha of arable land are exempt. But farmers with 10-30ha of arable land must have at least two crop types. In this case, the main crop must not exceed 75% of the farm’s arable area.

Farmers with more than 30ha of arable land must have at least three crop types. In this case, the main crop must not exceed 75% of the farm’s arable area and the two main crops taken together must not exceed 95% of the land area.

Defining a crop has proved difficult. Winter and spring varieties of the same genus will count as different crops – although the method of determining exactly what constitutes a winter crop and what constitutes a spring crop has yet to be announced.

Tackled over the issue during a press conference at Cereals, Mr Paterson said: “Some of this we still have to resolve with the European Commission. I am very clear – I would like to give farmers as many options as possible.”

Time, though, is of the essence. It remains unclear, for example, when or whether a late-drilled winter variety will be classed as a spring crop. Similarly, it remains unclear when or whether an early-drilled spring variety will be classed as a winter crop.

One Defra adviser, who asked not to be named, told Crops at Cereals it was likely that spring and winter crops would be defined by variety rather than drilling date. But Defra policy director Sarah Hendry later said growers should wait for final confirmation.

Wheat variety Belepi poses a particular conundrum for policy-makers. Bred by Blackman Agriculture to have a wide drilling window stretching from mid-October to April, it is classed as neither a spring nor a winter variety.

Acknowledging that the clock was ticking for growers who want to finalise 2014-15 cropping plans, Ms Hendry said an announcement would be made “as soon as possible”. Defra needed to ensure it could enforce any rules to EU satisfaction, she added.

Will Gemmill, of farm business consultant Strutt & Parker, said: “With regards to spring and winter cropping, we know a spring variety will be classed as a different crop to a winter variety. The big question is whether a spring variety planted in the autumn is still a spring variety.”

Mr Gemmill added: “My feeling is that an autumn-drilled spring variety will still count as a spring variety for the purposes of the three-crop rule, but it is not definitive as yet. Certainly, that definition is what we would hope for.

“The fact that it is drilled in the late autumn I don’t think should affect it. My understanding is that it will be based much more on varietal specification as of the Niab list, rather than the drilling date. That is what we hope.”

The three-crop rule poses additional challenges for farmers who block-crop land – including those who do so in seasonal rotation such as contract farmers or smaller farmers co-operating with neighbours, said Phil Dunn, head of agricultural business consultancy at Brown & Co.

“This sums up our view of the three-crop rule – in many cases it will hinder farming efficiency while delivering little environmental gain,” said Mr Dunn. “It will be interesting to see how it fares in the planned greening review scheduled for 2017.”