Yet again the Agri Environment Climate Scheme closing date is upon us. This year I have only a small number of schemes being submitted and fortunately relatively simple, not that I can say the same for the rules and regs which become evermore complex. A few modest changes this year are mostly building paperwork and reducing flexibility:
- Where collaboration is to count for scoring, we must make sure joint projects are robust and fully documented, and signed by all participants;
- In grazng plans we now must make it explicit precisely how many animals and on what days will be grazed in each field (while this removes doubt for nspections on what has been achieved it also removes daily practicality of grazing livestock in a real world with weather variables;
- A new option for waders opens up on heathland, which is welcome and will help many areas to benefit from the best regmes for curlew in particular;
Plans must be in with all supporting documentation by Friday 13th….ho appropriate!
Access AECS applciations are open until the end of May.