8:30am Tuesday 23rd February 2010
Farmers’ awareness of the Campaign for the Farmed environment is high according to a recent Defra survey. Already 85 per cent of farmers have heard about the Campaign and many are managing land voluntarily.
Around 5,000 farmers and growers were questioned back in November, when the Campaign was officially launched, to get a benchmark for the level of voluntary, environmental activity already being carried out on farm, in addition to the then current level of awareness of the Campaign.
CFE partners have said the figures show the huge amount of work that farmers and growers are already doing and provides an encouraging starting point on which the Campaign can build. Results reveal 174,000 hectares of land are already managed for conservation outside agri-environment schemes and over 50 per cent of farmers have retained uncultivated land. However the CFE partners believe it is vital that the interest in the Campaign is turned into action on the ground. They want farmers to: · Either enter ELS for the first time or check the expiration date of their ELS agreement. If it is this year then farmers can apply for their next ELS application pack and pick some Campaign options such as pollen and nectar mixes, wild bird seed mixtures or perhaps a 12 metre buffer strip to stop runoff into watercourses · Retain their uncropped land and existing environmental management · Take a look at the Campaign’s ‘Farmers Guide to the Voluntary Measures’ and adopt at least one measure outside of an ELS agreement that can work with their farming business. This could even be on uncropped land.
NFU President Peter Kendall said: “The survey results are a fantastic start for the Campaign and reinforce my belief that farmers and growers already put in a huge effort voluntarily. The Campaign partners are now focused on providing farmers with advice on the best way for them to take part so that the Campaign targets are achieved.”
CLA President William Worsley said: “The results are certainly encouraging and show the Campaign has generated a lot of interest among farmers and land managers. However, it is important we do not become complacent. We need to turn intention into action and this is something that every farmer, grower and land manager can do. If we do not succeed, then the alternative will be costly and could stifle the industry’s ability to move forward for years to come.” By June 2012 the Campaign must increase the current national level of voluntary environmental management by at least 30,000 hectares and retain 179,000 hectares of uncropped land across England.
Campaign for the Farmed Environment original partners are the National Farmers’ Union, the Country, Land and Business Association, the Agricultural Industries Confederation, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Linking Environment and Farming, Defra, Natural England, the Environment Agency and the RSPB. They have been joined by the Association of Independent Crop Consultants and the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers to create a powerful national partnership.
Farmers and smallholders can find out more about how they can take part in the Campaign by visiting www.cfeonline.org.uk and by referring to the ‘Farmer’s guide to voluntary measures’ that was received by over 40 000 farmers at the end of January.
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