Countryside Stewardship countdown

The application window for the 2021 Countryside Stewardship Scheme is open, giving farmers and land managers the chance to apply for grants to improve both the environment and their farming incomes.

Application packs can be downloaded online through the Rural Payments Service, or you can request to receive an application pack in the post by contacting the Rural Payments Agency by May 31. The deadline for application submissions is July 31.

We are advising farmers to get their applications in early to ensure they have the necessary information in hand before the closing date.

Some options and items require the involvement of Catchment Sensitive Farming Officers and we are alerting clients that officers need to gather certain information in advance to determine whether or not they will be able to engage with a holding.

The CSFOs are assessing applications remotely this year due to coronavirus. Guidance has been released on the processes involved in obtaining the necessary endorsement to support capital works within applications. Contact must have been made with the local CSFO before May 31.

Farmers should take up these funding opportunities while they are available and we can advise on the best options to suit their particular systems.

Vicky Price, chartered surveyor at Berrys' Hereford office.