Legislation & Regulation

Cross Compliance in 2021

You must meet all of the cross compliance rules throughout the whole year to receive all of your rural payments.  The RPA is removing duplication with existing guidance about some of the cross compliance rules. They are doing this by outlining the cross compliance rules and then linking to the detailed rules themselves on GOV.UK and other websites.   There are also some changes to how cross compliance runs. These includes inspections and enforcement actions the RPA will take if you do not meet the rules.

To read the Cross Compliance rules for 2021 please visit this page.

To read the changes to Cross Compliance for 2021 please visit this page.  

Get assistance with moving agrifood to Northern Ireland from 1 January

From 1 January 2021, there are new requirements for moving live animals, products of animal origin, plants and plant products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.  You can get advice from the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) helpline.   Advisers can help with the new requirements including advice on export health certificates, live animals, animal products, plant and plants product types.   Read more here.

Metaldehyde slug pellets to be phased out by spring 2022

A ban on the outdoor use of metaldehyde slug pellets is to be introduced across Great Britain from spring 2022.  Defra farm minister Victoria Prentis said the decision to ban the use of the pesticide on farms and in gardens, except in permanent greenhouses, was being taken “in order to better protect wildlife and the environment”.   The use of metaldehyde will be phased out over 18 months to give growers time to adjust to other methods of slug control.  It will be legal for manufacturers to supply metaldehyde products until 31 March 2021. Onward sale by distributors and use of the products will then still be allowed for a further 12 months until 31 March 2022.

Farming Rules for Water

The new Farming Rules for Water will be enforceable from 2 April 2019.  The rules standardise good farming practices that many farmers are already demonstrating following on from the Codes of Good Agricultural Practice. The rules are separate from cross-compliance. Full details of the new rules are available here.

Updated information on riparian rights

Updated information on your responsibilities and rules to follow for watercourses on or near your property, and permissions you need to do work around them, have been placed on the Gov.uk website. Visit the link below to view the information.

New rules for fertilizer management to protect water quality

From April 2018 all farmers in England will need to follow a new set of farming rules for water. New regulations will now be made which will give these rules legal force from then. The rules will:
• promote good practice in managing fertilisers and manures through eight rules covering planning and use, storage and application of fertilisers and manures and soil erosion measures
• encourage land managers to take reasonable precautions to prevent diffuse pollution from runoff or soil erosion
• require soil tests at least every 5 years on cultivated land
• protect land within 5 metres of watercourses from significant soil erosion by preventing poaching by livestock.
Further details can be found on the website below.

Warwickshire re-classified as fully in the Edge Area for TB

Following a public Defra TB consultation held in 2016, and an informal consultation held in October 2017, Defra has announced enhanced cattle measures in the Edge Area; which will take effect from January 2018.
The changes from January 2018 include re-classification of Edge Area counties. The following part Edge, part High Risk Area split counties will be re-classified as fully in the Edge Area
Warwickshire and Oxfordshire
East Sussex, Derbyshire and Cheshire

Reminder on water abstraction licences

If your current water abstraction licence is due to expire, and you want to continue to abstract, you need to apply for a new licence at least 3 months before the existing licence expires.
For more information on applying for a water abstraction licence, please visit the website below.

Dewlap tags

Please be reminded that Dewlap tags, which are inserted through the dewlap of cattle, are legally classed as a mutilation (Animal Welfare Act 2006). Using the dewlap tag is therefore illegal and if farms are found to be using these tags at an RPA or APHA inspection it will be considered a rectifiable breach and will incur a penalty.