The Rural Bulletin: 13th December, 2018

Andrew Shirley Head of Rural Research comments:

Theresa May has won another battle, but her Brexit plan still looks doomed. So farmers still can’t plan for the future with any certainty.

But even so, tenant farmers in Scotland should take advantage of the one-off amnesty period for improvements, while those in the Midlands could benefit from environmental payments to help improve water quality – they aren’t huge, but anything that adds to the bottom line at the moment has to be considered.  

Theresa May survives vote of no confidence 

Theresa May has survived the vote of no confidence called by Conservative MPs, winning with 200 votes to 117. Having promised to step down before the next election, she headed straight to Brussels for an EU summit to seek legally binding pledges allowing the ‘backstop’ deal (to avoid a manned Northern Ireland border) to be temporary. 

Tory MPs cannot call another vote of no confidence for 12 months – although Labour has said it will table a no-confidence motion that all MPs could vote in. It seems unlikely that Mrs May’s negotiations will win enough support for the Brexit plan to make it through the House of Commons vote, and so the uncertainty continues.

Last chance to apply for £5,000 environmental grant

Farmers in the Midlands have until 31 January to apply for an environmental grant of up to £5,000. The Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme (STEPS) aims to minimise pollution and protect local water courses. 

The organisation is working closely with farmers to reduce the amount of water that has to be treated at great expense - helping to keep consumers’ bills down. The STEPS grant provides farmers with match-funding for a variety of infrastructure and land management items which will minimise pollution and protect water courses.

To be eligible the farm must be within the Seven Trent area and must be at least three hectares in size. For more information visit www.stwater.co.uk/steps.

Tree calculator helps farmers reduce ammonia emissions

A new online calculator has been developed to help farmers cut down on greenhouse gas emissions through strategic tree planting. Scientists from the Natural Environment Research Council have worked with Forest Research to develop the free online tool and guidance, funded by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Using the calculator, land managers can optimise tree planting – for example around animal housing to recapture ammonia emissions from livestock. It estimates the percentage of ammonia that will be recaptured by different planting options over a set time period of up to 50 years. 

“Tree shelters are an agroforestry technique that have benefits for farmers and society as a whole,” said Dr Elena Vanguelova from Forest Research. “The capture of carbon and nitrogen by additional planting will help the UK achieve its greenhouse gas emission targets.”

The calculator available at www.farmtreestoair.ceh.ac.uk

Make use of tenant amnesty period, urge campaigners

Tenant farming campaigners are urging Scottish tenants to take advantage of the one-off amnesty period for improvements. With the amnesty period already more than halfway through, time is running out, according to the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association and Scottish Land Commission. 

A report by the Press & Journal said the average review of improvements would take at least nine months to complete, and the amnesty deadline was June 2020.

“Completing the tenants’ amnesty is one of the most important tasks most tenants will undertake,” said STFA chairman Christopher Nicholson. “Identifying tenant’s improvements and fixtures will be essential for the new rent test due to be rolled out in the next year or so.”

How can we help? Knight Frank's Rural Property Management team is on hand to advise on a wide range of private and institutional clients on the hugely diverse property assets that they own.