NFU News from East Anglia 19 February 2016

NFU Conference 2016 – Backing the Future of British Farming Leading lights from the farming sector are set to come together for the National Farmers’ Union Annual Conference next month under the theme ‘Backing the Future of British Farming’.

The NFU 2016 conference is taking place at the ICC in Birmingham on February 23-24 and includes a key note speech from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Liz Truss MP, as well as speakers from the world of banking, farming and horticulture. The hugely important EU referendum will be debated on the second day of conference.

NFU President Meurig Raymond said he was delighted to introduce a line-up of world class speakers at the event. He said: “This year, the NFU will focus on providing sustainable solutions for improving the future for Britain’s farmers.

“The last 12 months have been difficult for farmers and growers and we are pleased to be able to focus on the areas of growth in the coming year and how we can help strengthen an already resilient industry.”

The full list of speakers can be found here

As you will know, the Conference will also see the election of officeholders for the Presidency, Deputy and Vice Presidencies of the NFU. A full list of candidates is available here

Latest on BPS Payment runs – No payment run took place last weekend as the RPA were upgrading their IT system for BPS 2016. Instead a batch of payments was issued on Wednesday 10 February. The RPA have told us that they plan to make between 5000 – 6000 payments in February.

Claim Statements – These will be posted to claimants. NFU has raised concerns with the RPA over the delay in release of these key documents. We gather there are IT issues causing delays. NFU reiterated the need for farmers to have these to ascertain if they have an issue with the payment or not.

Any farmers wanting help and advice should contact the Rural Payments helpline on 03000 200 301 in the first instance.

2016 Meetings - Although the focus is on the 2015 payments, the 2016 application process is now firmly on the agenda. To help members understand what the application process looks like this year for both the online and paper options we have organised a series of meetings around the region. Keith Wellings from the RPA will be talking members through the application process and answer any questions that you have. The meetings are:

 Tuesday 1 March: NFU Regional Office, Newmarket CB8 7SN - 4pm  Wednesday 2 March: Barnham Broom, Norwich NR9 4DD - 9.30am for 10am start Cedars Hotel, Stowmarket IP14 2AJ - 1.30pm for 2pm start Writtle College, Chelmsford CM1 3RR - 7.00pm for 7.30pm start  Thursday 3 March: Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester PE29 2NH - 9.30am for 10am start The Farmschool, Annables Farm, Harpenden AL5 3PR - 1.30pm for 2pm start

To book your place please email [email protected] or telephone 01638 672100 with your membership number.

Watch out - Xylella fastidiosa APHA has published an information note on implications for the nursery trade of the current outbreaks of Xylella fastidiosa in Italy and France (Corsica and mainland France). An outbreak in the UK could lead to destruction of host plants within 100m, and a 10km movement ban for host plants for five years. Full details are here.

The voice of British farming

NFU East Anglia, Agriculture House, Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7SN Tel: 01638 672100 Fax: 01638 672101 Email: [email protected]

NFU News from East Anglia 19 February 2016

Countryside Stewardship Woodland Grants There are a number of opportunities for woodland to be supported in Countryside Stewardship (CS). There are woodland creation grants which have just opened for applications, woodland improvement grants through Higher Tier due to open in March and some wider opportunities. Below is a quick summary of each. Further information can be found on Gov.uk. Woodland Creation Grants Available The woodland creation capital grant in Countryside Stewardship is open for applications. It offers farmers up to £6,800 per hectare to plant and protect young trees plus £200 per ha (for ten years) maintenance support for eligible schemes. To apply, submit an initial application to Natural England by 31 March 2016. An initial application includes:  A completed CS capital grant application form and woodland creation annex.  An annotated application map. You will need to request a map from Natural England’s map request service to be used to support the application. The request for a map should be made as soon as possible and no later than 24 March 2016. There is a five day turnaround for this service and we suggest applicants request a map as soon as possible. Further guidance on what information you need to have to hand to request a map is available in section 4.4. of the Manual. Once an initial application has been submitted, a Forestry Commission Woodland Officer will work with you to refine your application before the final deadline: 31 May 2016. This will include a site visit. The woodland creation grant manual, CS capital grant application form and associated how to guide are now available on the woodland support page on GOV.UK. CS Woodland Improvement Grants in 2016 Funding for woodland improvement will be available via the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and will open for applications on 14 March 2016. The deadline for submitting your initial application is 31 May 2016. If you want to apply for support to improve your woodland you should prepare now by making sure you have a Forestry Commission approved UK Forestry Standard compliant management plan in place. Plans supporting a Higher Tier woodland improvement application will need to be in place by 31 May 2016. Further details about how to apply via the Higher Tier will be made available on GOV.UK in due course.

Energy Barns around the M25 Corridor Energy storage is going to be an important part of the UK’s energy generation and distribution system, helping to smooth out the intermittency of renewable generation systems and ensuring smooth supply on the grid. The electricity sector is currently undergoing its biggest transformation for over half a century. The need to diversify electricity generation sources, bringing in new renewables, nuclear and fossil fuel plants to work with the existing generation infrastructure, the adjustments to the distribution network to allow these sources to contribute to the National Grid, and the development of smart grids and intelligent appliances to allow demand to be varied according to the availability and cost of power throughout the day, are all changing the way that electricity is generated, accessed and used.

In order to combat this, technology has been trialled to store excess electricity through battery systems. This battery technology provides energy storage that allows a release of energy over long periods of time. This should hopefully reduce the peaks in supply and demand that UK energy suppliers and the national grid have to deal with on a daily basis. Opportunity for landowners: The Government has through the Low Carbon Networks Fund released funding to support “Smarter Network Storage” Projects, i.e. Energy Barns. Specific areas have been designated for funding around the M25 corridor. If you farm here and are interested in leasing out your land for an Energy Barn you could benefit from:  Landowner to receive 3 years plus 3 year option for a 25 year lease.  Annual payment of £2000/MWp capacity: approx. £20,000 pa.  All agent and legal fees paid for.  All permissions applied for by the RNA Energy company.  New steel portal frame building erected (50mx20m) near existing farm buildings.  End of 25 year lease building revert to landowner for peppercorn fee of £1.

Only a small area on your property near other buildings is required (about 10,000 square feet, or less, than half an acre). The batteries within the Energy Barn store excess energy from the grid to be used at later times, and therefore a

The voice of British farming

NFU East Anglia, Agriculture House, Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7SN Tel: 01638 672100 Fax: 01638 672101 Email: [email protected]

NFU News from East Anglia 19 February 2016 connection into your existing power line is needed. The proposed site should be approximately 300m from a 33kV connection. If you are interested in receiving more details please contact: Emma Powlett, [email protected]

New guidance for manure and silage storage Updated guidance is now available which will help farmers make the right decisions when adding new manure and silage storage infrastructure on the farm. The updated guidance (CIRIA 759 A&B) incorporates amendments to the Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil (SSAFO) Regulations from 2010 and also takes into account the evolution of construction and storage technologies which has taken place since 1992. The guidance comes in two parts:  Part 1 provides the legislative background and presents the characteristics of farm wastes and principles of treatment and disposal. This part is of particular use to farmers as it provides an overview of the topic and provides advice on selecting the most appropriate store.  Part 2 is the design and construction guide and is aimed at consultants, designers and contractors. It also includes guidance on storage maintenance and health and safety considerations. Both documents can be freely downloaded from the CIRIA website.

Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle Survey The NFU are conducting a survey again this year to establish the severity of the CSFB problem. The survey can be found here. The survey will be open until the end of March and it will greatly bolster our lobbying activities to be able to build as comprehensive a picture as possible of the issue in the way in which it affects our farmers’ businesses.

Boost for UK crop science as NIAB and EMR join forces Two leading UK crop research institutes are joining forces to create a major new centre for applied crop science and innovation. East Malling Research (EMR) has become part of the NIAB group. This alliance, bringing together internationally renowned expertise in crop genetics, agronomy, environmental and data science, will strengthen NIAB’s ambition to lead the UK in crop innovation. EMR brings international leadership in top fruit and soft fruit research, complementing NIAB’s scientific expertise in arable crops, potatoes and ornamentals. Both organisations have a focus on industry-facing, applied research aimed at addressing the challenges facing UK and global agriculture. The partnership will strengthen the UK’s crop science infrastructure and capabilities, with the pooling of complementary research expertise, and a shared commitment to the translation and application of science to support crop production in the UK and internationally. In research terms, the integration will align EMR’s internationally renowned capabilities in horticultural and environmental science, including expertise in plant breeding, soil science, water use and biological pest control, alongside NIAB’s existing strengths in genetics and pre-breeding, variety evaluation, agronomy research, precision farming and informatics. The combined organisation, employing more than 300 staff and with a turnover in excess of £22 million, will provide long-term stability, scale and capacity for investment in crop science. NIAB EMR will be established as a wholly owned subsidiary of NIAB, and will continue to operate from its existing site at East Malling in Kent.

Chlorpyriphos Update This is a contact and ingested organophosphate insecticide and acaricide (e.g. Dursban, produced by Dow). In October 2015 there were some questions about operator exposure. Dow took the voluntary decision to stop marketing the product and their distributors removed all product from sale. People were told to use up existing stocks. Dow has now issued the following statement: “CRD will issue a public notice on its website withdrawing all commercial uses for all products containing chlorpyrifosethyl in the UK, with the exception of gantry sprays on brassica plants. All products containing chlorpyrifos-ethyl (for Dow AgroSciences this is Equity and Dursban WG) will be subject to the following withdrawal periods: 1 April 2016 for sale, distribution and use of existing stocks 1 October 2016 for the disposal, storage or re-labelling of existing stocks This means that all products containing chlorpyrifos-ethyl can be purchased, stored and used within the existing label, up until and including the 31 March 2016. After this date manufacturers and distributors can no longer sell product and

The voice of British farming

NFU East Anglia, Agriculture House, Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7SN Tel: 01638 672100 Fax: 01638 672101 Email: [email protected]

NFU News from East Anglia 19 February 2016 growers can no longer apply product. Up until the end of March there are reasons to use Dursban WG and Equity for wheat bulb flyand leather jacket control, however we strongly recommend to only order/purchase what you know can be used before the 1 April and for agronomists and advisors only recommend what they know can be applied by growers before 1 April. Product remaining in the market after the deadline will be subject to withdrawal within the time period 1 April to 1 October. Stockpiling for future use after the end of March will of course be illegal.” The active ingredient is still authorised and it is hoped that this will leave the door open for applications for Emergency Approvals.

Interested in growing miscanthus (Elephant grass) Bernard Matthews is looking at miscanthus for two possible uses:- • As the base material for turkey bedding of which we buy circa 18,000 tonnes per annum. • As the base material for biomass boilers of which we buy circa 12,000 tonnes per annum. As miscanthus it is a low density crop (especially if its in a chopped not baled form) we need to understand how much we can source locally:- • to keep the shipping cost down • to be as environmentally friendly as possible

Below is a link to an online survey that has been set up for farmers to register interest. This survey includes links to DEFRA information about growing miscanthus as well as information on Bernard Matthews Big Green Plan and the 209 biomass boilers they have installed at 30 farms. All members need to do is click here and complete the requested information and they can take it from there.

Norfolk police warning of increased levels of trailer thefts Norfolk police have highlighted a recent increase in trailer thefts. They are urging owners of trailers to overtly mark them up, making them less desirable to thieves. If a lot of effort needs to go into replacing a panel or covering up markings they are less likely to be stolen as thieves like to be able to move stolen property on quickly. It is suggested that you consider welding the sides of your trailers highlighting your company name for example or etching/scratching in the same type of information. Please take photos of these markings so in the event of any theft we will have the evidence needed to reunite you with your property if it is found. Take the time this weekend to protect your trailers.

England Coast Path Development – Further Essex Drop-in Sessions Work on all sections in Essex has begun, with the northern stretches being started first. All landowners have been sent a letter with details of these drop-ins. If you weren’t able to attend an earlier drop–in near you then feel free to join any of the remaining sessions. See below for the remaining dates Natural England (NE) are running.

Salcott to Jaywick  Fingringhoe Village Hall - Saturday 27 February, 9.30am - 12.30pm  Peldon Village Hall - Thursday 3 March, 2pm - 6pm

Mersea Island  East Mersea Village Hall - Wednesday 24 February, 2pm - 6pm  MICA Centre, West Mersea - Friday 11 March, 2pm - 6pm

Shared Maldon to Salcott / Salcott to Jaywick  Tollesbury Community Centre - Tuesday 8 March, 4.30pm - 8pm

Maldon to Salcott  Goldhanger Village Hall - Wednesday 24 February, 12pm - 4pm

Burnham-on-Crouch to Maldon  Steeple Village Hall - Wednesday 2 March, 4.30pm - 8pm

The voice of British farming

NFU East Anglia, Agriculture House, Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7SN Tel: 01638 672100 Fax: 01638 672101 Email: [email protected]

NFU News from East Anglia 19 February 2016

The NFU will be organising a group meeting for farmers to discuss issues directly with Natural England once they have completed these drop-in sessions.

NE are starting the process of writing to individual landowners to invite them to ‘walk the course’ with them of potential route alignments. You do not have to accompany NE on these visits, but it is an opportunity to hear their initial thinking and ask for your views about where the England Coast Path might go on your part of the stretch. Any member with questions at this stage about the development of the path can find NFU guidance online here. If you have specific local questions or concerns or would like support when NE contact you, please contact regional Environment Adviser Rob Wise: [email protected] or 01638 672109.

Dates for your diary

Yield Enhancement Network - National spring ‘ideas lab,’ 1 March 9.30am to 3.00pm on Tuesday 1 March 2016 at the Peterborough Suite, East of England Showground, Oundle Road, Alwalton, Peterborough PE2 6XE ‘Finding & Supporting arable innovators’ Why were yields high in 2015? Were you lucky? .. clever? .. or both?! How can yields be enhanced in 2016 & 2017? With the support of AHDB and the East of England Agricultural Society the YEN will hold a series of events through 2016. These will be open to all potential sponsors and entrants in the 2016 YEN competition. This event is open to all.

Programme:  Short talks: How yield is determined, and Enhancing Light and Water capture,  Break-out sessions: To develop ideas, and voting on the best ideas  Details of the YEN, sponsorship and help in registering for the YEN Competition 2016.

If you wish to attend, please email Ruth Trolove – [email protected] or call 01733 234451 and further details will be sent (there will be a small charge for lunch).

NFU East Anglia EU Referendum Meetings, 6-7 April As many of you will be aware the NFU has instructed a Dutch University, LEI Wageningen to carry out some research looking at different outcomes for agriculture after the referendum. This will range from staying in to full separation with some analysis of what this will mean for agriculture and horticulture in the UK and more importantly in England, as well as alternatives in between.

We have secured Dr. Andrew Clark, NFU Director of Policy, to present at these five meetings across the region. He will present the findings from the NFU commissioned work. There will also be time for questions to him. In order to present this information to members we will be holding five meetings across the region on the 6 and 7 April 2016.

Meeting will take place in Letchworth, Newmarket and Ipswich on 6 April and Norwich and Peterborough on 7. Full details and timings will be confirmed after Conference.

FCN Europe Debate, 15 April On Friday 15 April the Farming Community Network will host a debate on Britain’s forthcoming Referendum on membership of the European Union. Invited to speak are the pro-Europe moderate, the Lord Deben former MP for Suffolk Coastal, and the UKIP MEP, Stuart Agnew, with David chairing. Entry will cost £7.00 and a hog roast by Peter Havers will follow the debate. To book, contact either [email protected] or [email protected]

The voice of British farming

NFU East Anglia, Agriculture House, Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7SN Tel: 01638 672100 Fax: 01638 672101 Email: [email protected]

NFU News from East Anglia 19 February 2016

Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Forum Conference, 12 May The AONB and Stour Valley Forum Conference 2016 is titled The Dedham Vale and Stour Valley: Landscape Wonders. It is on Thursday 12 May 2016, 9.30am to 4pm at The Venture Centre, Lawford, Manningtree CO11 2JE . The event will include presentations on the work of the AONB and Stour Valley team and from partner organisations about their work in the area. In the afternoon there will be an opportunity to undertake site visits or to take part in a work shop. For more information and to book a place please email [email protected] or Tel 01394 445225. A £4 donation is required for lunch.

Beds and Hunts Annual County Dinner, 28 October Save the date - the annual County Dinner will be held at the Park Inn, 2 St Mary's St, Bedford MK42 0AR. Entry will cost £35.00, with YFC member tickets costing £25.00. Full details are to be confirmed in due course, but the menu will be a starter smoked salmon and prawn terrine followed by sirloin of roast beef and a sweet of bread and butter pudding with vanilla custard.

Your regional team Regional Director, Robert Sheasby: 07816 986541 / [email protected] National Water Resources Specialist, Paul Hammett: 07778 337852 / [email protected] Regional Communications Adviser, Brian Finnerty: 07721 869856 / [email protected] Environment Adviser, Rob Wise: 07880 385684 / [email protected] Membership Development Manager, Fiona Millar: 07887 822458 / [email protected] Regional Co-ordinator, Jackie Evans: 01638 672126 / [email protected] Administrative Assistant, Michelle Dunnett: 01638 672111 / [email protected]

County Advisers: Bedfordshire - Huntingdonshire – Jim McKeane: 07551 155655 / [email protected] Cambridgeshire, Hannah Padfield: 07817 726094 / [email protected] Essex, Adam Scott: 07966 783023 / [email protected] Hertfordshire, Niamh Kilgallen: 07501 017704 / [email protected] Norfolk, John Newton: 07825 685798 / [email protected] Suffolk, Rachel Carrington: 07747 756533 / [email protected]

Follow us on Twitter - @NFUeastanglia

The voice of British farming

NFU East Anglia, Agriculture House, Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7SN Tel: 01638 672100 Fax: 01638 672101 Email: [email protected]