Make every acre count and record voluntary management, says CFE

Farmers and land managers across England still have the opportunity to show how they are supporting the Campaign for the Farmed Environment by making every acre count.

Over the past three months many farmers and land managers have been recording the campaign voluntary measures and key target options in Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) that they have put in place on their holdings for the crop year 2009/10. Now the deadline for completing online records has been extended until January 14 2011.

The most popular campaign voluntary measure so far is reverted arable areas (34 per cent) which closely resemble former set-aside. Thats followed by over wintered stubbles, grass buffers and temporary and permanent watercourses.

Almost every farm has some unproductive areas, where the cost of production outweighs the poor yields. These areas are ideal for putting in place campaign voluntary measures, making every acre count towards farm productivity and the delivery of environmental benefits.

National CFE co-ordinator Corrina Gibbs said: Many farmers have put in place voluntary measures as they can see the sense in realising the potential of less productive areas on their holding in a way that is flexible.

For those farmers who havent adopted voluntary measures there is still time and in many cases it will just be a case of simply tweaking their existing management so that it counts towards the CFE.

One of the selling points of the voluntary measures is the flexibility and ease in which some of them can be managed. For example, there are no cutting restrictions on grass buffers alongside temporary and permanent watercourses.

To complete the online record by January 14 2011 visit www.cfeonline.org.uk or call 024 7685 8892 to request a hard copy.

Campaign for the Farmed Environment partners are the NFU, 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.

The Campaign website www.cfeonline.org.uk – provides useful information about the campaign targets, themes and voluntary measures. It also highlights activities at a local level including coordination details, a diary of events and details of Beacon Farms.

To find out more about the campaign visit www.cfeonline.org.uk , email cfeonline@nfu.org.uk or call 02476 858536.