Forces for Change: Borough-Wide

The England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) underpins the Government’s New Direction for agriculture by helping farmers and foresters to respond better to consumer requirements and become more competitive, diverse, flexible and environmentally responsible. It also provides help to rural businesses and communities, which need to adapt and develop. The programme will run from 2000 to 2006. The key aspects of the programme are as follows:

The creation of a productive and sustainable rural economy: This shall include grant aid for rural enterprises, energy crops, training, improving processing and marketing of agricultural products and forestry.

Conservation and enhancement of the rural environment: This shall be implemented through the existing Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA), the existing Countryside Stewardship Scheme and the re-opened organic farming scheme.

The ESA was introduced in 1987 to encourage farmers to help protect those areas of the countryside where the landscape, wildlife or historic interest is of national importance. The scheme involves farmers voluntarily entering into a 10 year management agreements with DEFRA, under which they receive an annul payment for each hectare of land. Much of valley floor of the River Test and lower parts of all its tributaries, excepting the River Blackwater, are covered by an ESA. Within the valley the ESA scheme has three main management options:

To maintain and enhance the nature conservation interest of the river valley grassland by sustaining and extending the area under extensive management, by managing associated wetland habitats and by increasing the area of land attractive to waders and wildfowl.

To create new grassland habitats and protect the nature conservation interest of watercourses by reverting arable to permanent grassland and by establishing grass buffer strips.

To maintain and enhance the nature conservation and landscape interest of small-scale native woodlands.

Some 14,850 hectares of land are under agreement within the Test Valley with further take-up being encouraged in the Borough.

The Countryside Stewardship Scheme is the Government’s principle environmental grant scheme for farmers to conserve and improve the countryside, and is available to farmers outside the ESA’s. Under the scheme, which was started in 1991, farmers are paid to follow more traditional methods, with the aim of enhancing the landscape, encouraging wildlife and protecting historical features.

In 2003, in response to the first public consultation on a review of the CSS and ESA schemes half way through the ERDP, DEFRA piloted a new less complex and less demanding Entry Level Scheme (ELS) to provide an opportunity for farmers to apply for a simpler means of supporting good stewardship of the countryside through a flat rate payment in return for carrying out appropriate management. A review of the pilot schemes has shown general support and success, and the ELS is likely to be rolled out nationally. It is hoped that the scheme will bring a greater environmental benefits to a greater number of farms.

AGENDA 2000 sets out a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. This was finalized in 1999 with the objective to make agriculture more responsive to market demand, to lower EU product prices closer to world levels and to equate supply with demand, thus eliminating surplus.

The key issues and potential impacts of these scenarios are explored below:

Increase in large farm units: This may result in increased specialization and amalgamation of farms. This may result in increasing monoculture in the landscape and more large scale buildings for intensification of meat production and grain storage. Large scale productive farm units may also produce the resources, labour and capital to respond to environmental initiatives and pursue landscape and biodiversity enhancement in association with productive agriculture.

Medium and small farms: Due to the opportunities available under the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP), small scale farming units may become more efficient within the southern areas of the Test Valley. Small scale farms could find a market in the production of high quality premium goods for local and specialist markets under such schemes as the Countryside Management Scheme (CMS), where grant aid is provided to continue with or adapt to environmentally sensitive farming methods outside ESA areas.

The Organic Farm Scheme: A number of schemes throughout the country are already successfully supplying boxes of organic goods to locals. Although the downland areas seem an unlikely contender for this type of farming, a number of organic farms are already thriving within the North Wessex Downs AONB outside the Borough.

Surplus/marginal agricultural land: The concentration of resources based on the best land may result in pockets of land of poorer quality coming out of production resulting in areas of unmanaged land. If successfully managed and supported through agri-environmental initiatives, this could contribute to the diversity and recreational potential of the landscape.

Diversification: It is evident from a number of current studies of farm diversification, that farmers given the opportunity would prefer to focus their diversification actively within farming. However, farm diversification outside of agriculture is being encouraged in less productive areas to ensure the vitality of the rural economy and communities.

Energy crops: At the Kyoto Climate Change Conference the EU agreed to legally binding cuts in greenhouse gas emissions of 8% and the UK government subsequently agreed to 12.5% reductions as a contribution to the EU targets. Agriculture through the development of energy crops, has the potential to make a significant contribution to meeting these targets and also the planned UK targets for the generation of electricity from renewable sources.

The new Energy Crops Scheme (ECS) provides establishment grants for two energy crops, short-term-rotation coppice (SRC) and elephant grass, Miscanthus. SRC consists of densely planted, high yielding varieties of either willow or popular, harvested on a 2 to 5 year cycle. SRC is a woody crop, growing up to a height 3-4m. A plantation could be viable for up to 30 years before re-planting. Miscanthus species are a perennial rhizomatous grass, originating from Asia, again growing to a height of around 2m. The crops will supply biomass power stations which need to be sited within a reasonable distance of the crops.

Carbon Sequestration: The introduction of ‘energy crops’ and the increase in the planting of woodlands is being encouraged as carbon sinks to mitigate rising levels of CO2.

Woodland Management and Planting: Presently two grant schemes exist for farmers to subsidize the planting of and management of woodlands, the Woodland Grants Scheme (WGS) and the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS). The increase in game shooting is also a major contributor to better management of woodland. New woodland planting, at a small scale, is taking place to provide shelter and mitigate the effects of new development.

Conversion of farm buildings: The change in the structure of agriculture and farm enterprises may result in an increasing number of buildings becoming redundant, whilst high values for buildings in the south east will encourage conversions for residential and business uses with the support of the Government’s Action Plan and the Rural White Paper.

The New Forest: In 2003 the New Forest Committee appointed the Forest Friendly Farming Officer to work with farmers, commoners and the local community to identify how they can work together to provide a more sustainable future for land management in the New Forest. An initiative to amend the Hedgerow Regulations has also been proposed by the New Forest Committee. This will include the protection of additional boundary features, such as wood banks, earth works, the bank and ditch delineation of ancient enclosures, drove roads and green lanes together with their ditches and hedges.